Flee to Destiny
by BrownB
Summary: Book 1 - AU - Manga based - Usagi grew up in the states, but when her parents are killed she must flee to Japan to find her guardians and protect the world from the evil attacking it. Her past is determined long before her future begins, and Usagi isn't sure she can be the Princess the Senshi are waiting for, or the love Mamoru longs for.
1. Blood Trail

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Original release date: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015  
Author's notes at the bottom

 **Chapter One - Blood Trail**

I looked out the small window next to me. The clouds looked decidedly too white in my opinion. The sun was also too bright for this day. It should have been dreary and pouring rain. Above me, I heard a ding, like a doorbell chime, and saw the fasten seat belt sign light up. I reached my hand out and took my little brother's hand, squeezing tightly. This was it. In a few moments we will land in Japan, clear across the world from the life we had known our entire lives.

The airplane descended slowly and a little too roughly for my taste. As it seemed we are hitting bumps, in mid air, Shingo squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in my arm. His first plane ride that should have been fun and adventurous, was nothing but a flight from the states. Back to our origins. Well, mine anyways. Where Shingo had been born in Tennessee, I was born in the country that we were now re-entering.

I had often dreamt of coming back here - to visit where I had been born and see where my parents had grown up. But Shingo and I are not here to visit and we are not with our parents. My thoughts drift back to our last days together and then the image appears before me. The afternoon I came home and found them - my mother and father - their lifeless bodies slumped over each other on the bed. Across the wall behind them was a clear message written in their blood that I can still see on my eyelids every time I shut my eyes.

 _You're next little princess._

The smell of blood that I remember all too vividly; the howl of distress and horror from my six year old brother as he walked in behind me. I squeeze my eyes shut, blocking these memories from my mind. I have to grow up now - and fast. My seventeen years in existence could not have prepared me for my future. All of Luna's training could not have helped me face my parent's death, or the uprooting of my life and my little brother's to move here.

Japan was not my first choice, by all means. I had every intention of staying in Tennessee where we had friends and knew our surroundings. But Luna wouldn't hear of it. As the Moon Princess, I had to do the right thing, she said. Which was up and move my little brother and myself - still morning the loss of our parents - to Japan so that I could be properly protected.

Properly protected by whom? My guardians, of course. The reincarnations of the Sailor Senshi that protected my kingdom and myself a thousand years ago. Now I'm sure any normal person would be questioning all of this nonsense by now, correct? Especially when hearing it told by a little black cat. But I had grown up with it - therefore it is a much as a part of me as I am of it. When I was no more than three years old, my parents moved to the states where my father had found better work. Shortly afterwards, my mother found a stray cat that seemed to become attached to our home, so we kept her. At three years old I still had silly notions that animals could talk - so who was I to question a cat that could? It wouldn't be for many years that I would jokingly tell her she had the most perfect grammar of any cat I'd ever spoken to.

The plane landed with a jerk, which thankfully ended as soon as it began. The speed of the engine slowed as we came around the corner and pulled into the terminal. After a few more moments, I noticed them locking the walkway to the side of the plane and the stewardess came to tell us it is safe to exit. Grabbing what few toys I had allowed Shingo to bring on the ride, I stuffed them into his backpack and grabbed my purse and his hand as we slowly made our way down the aisle and into the airport.

For a weekday, the airport was very busy. People rushed to and from, going here and there. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry. Most pulled suitcases behind them while others carried briefcases and cell phones. I saw a few tourists, and wished beyond my imagination that I was simply visiting this country. Perhaps it wouldn't seem as much of a grim journey if that were the case.

Tightening my grip on Shingo's hand, I entered the flow of people and headed to where I believed our bags to be. Shingo grew incredibly quiet for the normal six year old boy I knew - the one that always had questions as to why everything happened. I glanced at him worriedly from time to time, but he just continued to look around in wonder.

After what seemed like an eternity, and a five mile hike - we found the bag terminal and waited like everyone else. Of course our bags would be one of the last to come down, as luck would have it. And the stretch to the outside walk where we could catch a taxi seemed incredibly long carrying two large suitcases, a smaller suitcase, and two backpacks - while still trying to hold Shingo's hand.

By some small feat past human possibility, I managed to make it about twenty feet before the small suitcase came loose from my not so good grip, then in my effort to reclaim it, caused the backpacks to fall from my shoulders, and of course in all of this chaos, Shingo lets go of my hand to avoid being hit by the suitcase I was dropping as well. Running my fingers through my long mass of tangled hair, I began picking up the suitcases once more.

One at a time, I slowly managed to work the load into my arms so that I had a halfway decent chance of walking. Smiling inwardly to myself, I began forward again. And that's when I noticed I didn't have a small hand in mine.

"Shingo?" I looked around frantically, dropping the suitcases again, this time not caring as I searched for my younger sibling. If anything happened to him now, I'm not sure what I would do, but it would be miracle if I didn't end up in the loony bin, rambling on about what a horrid parent I made my second week on the job. "Shingo?!"

"I'm right here," came a small voice from behind me. Right where he had been the entire time I was hitting every available panic button, I realized. My eyes burned and watered. The plane ride had been nearly ten hours long and the time change was really effecting my coherent - or lack thereof - thinking.

Sighing my relief, I looked at the bags that were once more on the floor. This would not be easy at all, and as far as my eyes could see, there was not one of the carts that had been at the airport in Tennessee anywhere. Sighing again, I sat down on one of the larger suitcases and buried my face in my palms; Shingo sat down beside me, looking rather worried. "Usagi? Are you okay?" I can see worry deep in his blue eyes.

I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face. "Yes," I lied. "I'm just tired from the plane trip, that's all." And I don't know how to get these bags to the curb, and I don't know where to go when I finally do. And... oh damn! I realized, a little too late, I don't have the pet cage. Blinking rapidly, I handed the pack backs to Shingo. "Here, drag these," I instructed, grabbing the suitcase handles and tugging with all my strength. What was I thinking packing all of this stuff? Of course, it was all things I couldn't possibly leave behind. Slowly we made it to the lost and found counter, and it didn't take long to see the rather irritated black eyes of Luna staring out of a cage from behind the counter.

"I think that's my cat." The lady at the counter looked strangely at me, and blinked questionably. Of course, in my haste to get Luna back before she was really ticked off at me, I had forgotten that I'm no longer in an English speaking country. Of course I knew Japanese, both Shingo and I were fluent, it just hadn't occurred to me in my hurry to use it. Pushing my bangs from my face, I smiled apologetically at the lady behind the counter. "Ano?" I began in Japanese. "I believe the pet cage behind you is my cat."

"Your name and the pet's name? And can you list any identifying marks on the animal?" the lady responded nicely, smiling at Shingo and handing him a lollypop.

"My name is Tsukino Usagi, and my cat's name is Luna. As for identifying her, that's easy. She has a crescent moon bald spot on her forehead." I grimace as I say those words. Luna is proud of her moon symbol, and hates when I referred to it as a mere bald spot. But what am I suppose to say? 'My cat is my talking guardian from the Moon one thousand years ago, and has the symbol on her forehead to prove it?' And then after I finally escaped from the psycho ward, Luna would really have something to be mad at me about...

"Sign here," the woman interrupted my thoughts, indicating a log that reads FOUND at the top in bold writing. Gingerly she hands me the pet cage and I smile at the black ball of fur inside, which was incidentally shoving her backend at the cage door at the moment.

So now we have me, Shingo, a pet cage with a ticked off Luna inside, two backpacks, two large suitcases and one small suitcase to carry. As I half drag and half carry the luggage towards the exit, I can felt despair wash over me. This was starting out so wrong - and one glimpse outside told me it would be getting dark soon. We still had no place to stay, and hardly any money left. The conversion of dollars into yen had helped after paying so much for plane tickets, but not nearly enough when I found out how much everything in Japan costs. What little money my parents had held back wasn't going very far, either. The future didn't look very appealing at the moment, and the past continued to haunt me every time I closed my eyes. I wonder what my guardians would think of their Princess now? I could imagine the disgusted looks on their faces - wondering what causality of my birth had caused such a turn of events to happen. A mistake, that is what they would think, my being the Princess was. I felt like I couldn't have agreed more.

As my luck would have it - and I assure you good things were sparse as of late - I managed to drop the bags one more time. I stared at the stack of suitcases, backpacks and pet cage on the floor and felt tears well up in my eyes. Never did I think it would be so frustrating to simply get out of an airport. Shingo saw my eyes glaze over, and reached up to pat my arm reassuringly. I tried to smile at him, but something else caught my eye before I had gotten the chance. "Hey!" I yelled, turning abruptly. "What do you think you are doing with my bags?" Ready to pummel this idiot into the ground, I hardly had time to notice he wasn't running like a chicken with his head cut off away from me. I blinked once, then felt the heat of embarrassment light up my face like a flame.

The young man that stood before me easily adjusted my bags in his arms so that he could carry them with a lot more ease than I had been accomplishing. And the navy collared shirt he wore said 'Tokyo International Airport' - making me feel like an idiot for screaming out so rashly.

"It looked like you needed some help.." He stumbled over the words, putting the bags back down on the ground again.

"Gomen!" I squeaked, grabbing Shingo's hand once more. "I.. I didn't see the um, the eh.. the.." I gestured wildly towards the company logo on his shirt, having lost my voice due to extreme embarrassment. I was surprised I was even speaking Japanese, and not blurting out one hundred things a minute in a language this young man probably didn't even understand. Finally I stopped, convinced that I wasn't going to say anything useful in the next ten minutes or so. Nodding his head, the young man smiled at me and gestured towards the sliding glass doors as we made our way towards them. "You parked outside?"

"No," I responded, my eyes darted around. "I'll have to catch a cab."

"No problem," he replied, setting the bags down on the curb. He held his hand up and within a matter of seconds a cab pulled up and popped the trunk. I let out a breath of relief as soon as the last of our luggage was in the car and we were on our way. First order of business was to find a place to stay; luckily the cab driver knew of a couple.

It wasn't too much later that we pulled in front of a small hotel that, thankfully, didn't look very expensive. A short boy with large rimmed glasses came out with a cart, gathered our luggage up and ushered us inside. The lobby looked fairly clean and quiet, a couple of people - I assumed was housekeeping - were standing around the front desk, but moved as soon as we came in.

"Can I help you?" the woman behind the long counter asked, moving the mouse on her computer so that the screen saver went off.

"I'd like to rent a room, please," I said, trying to ignore Shingo tugging on my arm repeatedly. Looking down quickly, I put my finger to my lips and then smiled at the clerk. "For two nights."

A few clicks and questions later, we were being escorted to room 203 on the second floor. I set our bags in the corner of the room and looked around. It was small, to say the least - consisting of one king size bed, a small table with a chair, a dresser with a television on top and a bedside table. "I guess it will do for two nights, right Shingo?"

"Right!" he answered, crawling up on the bed and looking at me. "Mama," I looked curiously at Shingo, a boyish grin spread across his face and he bunched his hands up in his lap. "I'm hungry."

In response my stomach growled loudly. The plane had served dinner, but I had been so nervous I had only picked at it. I picked up my purse and the room key and gestured towards the door. "So let's go see what we can find to eat, shall we?"

"Yay!" Shingo yelled, running full speed over towards me. "Can we get a hamburger? Or do they have hamburgers here?"

I laughed merrily at his enthusiastic tone and shut the door behind us. "I have no idea what they have. Lets just see when we get there." I had gotten no more than ten feet from the room when a thought - one I had been forgetting about more often than not today - flew into my head. Rolling my eyes, I turned and went back into the room, Shingo in tow.

I fished through the pile of luggage for a moment before I found what I was looking for. Gingerly, I snapped the door open and watched as a sleek black cat came sauntering out of the cage, looking rather pissed off at me.

"Well," she began, and I knew this would be a long talk. "It's about time you let me out of there. Especially since I stayed so quiet the entire time, so as to not get you in any trouble."

I smiled apologetically at her and ran my hand through my hair. "Come on Luna, I'm sorry, okay? It's been a very long day and I just want to eat and sleep."

"And find your guardians," Luna said pointedly, as if I needed a constant reminder as to why I was here in the first place. "I think we all will breathe easier when you are under the care of the Senshi." I felt a small pang of anger at that statement, as if Luna didn't believe I could take care of myself. I started to voice it out loud when I realized it was no use, I would never win. I might as well save that argument for a time when Shingo and I were less hungry.

"Okay Luna," I agreed, which made her turn around and look at me curiously. "We'll look for them first thing in the morning, but for now, I want food. So either jump in here," I commanded, indicating my backpack, "or stay here, it's up to you."

She didn't hesitate to jump in my backpack, which made me wonder if she was as hungry as we were - or if she didn't trust me enough to let me go by myself.

The sun had already set behind the buildings as we headed out. Just enough of the light was in the sky to give it a red hue - but then it faded and cascaded into the dark night. We walked about four blocks, not finding anywhere to eat. I did, however, see a park and made a mental note to take Shingo there sometime soon.

Thinking with my head was never a good way to find food, I always thought, so it came as no surprise when my stomach growled as soon as I smelled a strong, mouth watering aroma. Letting my stomach and nose lead the way, I whisked Shingo off towards the origin of the delicious smell. It wasn't too much longer until I came across a door that said "Arcade and Crown Parlor" on it.

"This looks like a good as place as any," I informed Shingo, stepping on the mat so that the automatic doors came open. "And there is also a help wanted sign, perhaps I can apply for a job while I'm here."

Shingo nodded, but I doubt he really was thinking much about the job as he was the food. He yanked on my arm, practically dragging me into the arcade and to the counter. A man came up and handed us both a menu. I glanced up in time to come face to face with a rather handsome man, perhaps in his early twenties, with deep blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. "You know what you want?" he asked, smiling at the both of us.

"Un!" Shingo answered immediately. "I want a hamburger, but no onions, they are nasty. And I want a huge order of fries and a really big chocolate shake!"

I felt the blood creep up my neck as I thought about how much money I had in my purse. Biting my lip, I cleared my throat and tried to sound as convincing as I could. "Shingo, you can't eat all of that," I lied, knowing perfectly well his stomach was as bottomless a pit as my own. I looked at the man behind the counter, trying to avoid his eyes at every cost. "He'll take a small burger and a coke, and I'll have a pickle and a glass of water. Oh, can I have an application too, please?"

I chanced a glance at the young man's nametag and saw that his name was Motoki. I had never felt so embarrassed in my life. Shingo looked vaguely disappointed, but did not question my motives as to why I didn't let him order what he wanted. And for that I was eternally grateful. I couldn't imagine telling him we didn't have enough money within ear shot of Motoki. I knew I would shrivel up and die in my chair if I did.

Motoki smiled and took the menus back, placing them under the counter, and disappearing through two swinging doors. I let out the breath I hadn't known I was holding in and placed my forehead on the counter. "Sorry Shingo," I mumbled, my eyes threatening tears. "We just don't have enough money right now."

Shingo said nothing in response to my dead delivery of words, which I was semi-thankful for that. At least he didn't protest, making a scene. A few moments later Motoki returned with two plates - filled to the brim with fries, a hamburger placed on each one. Blushing, he put them before us. "Were about to close and we would have thrown this stuff out anyways..." his voice trailed off and I could see he was trying to not come across as giving us a handout. I felt my pride boil up in my throat, threatening to spill a line about how we had money, just needed to save it. And that I didn't want any pity from him. My thoughts on this speech were interrupted, however, as I noticed Shingo smile brightly at the man behind the counter. As I watched my younger brother dig into the food placed before him, I couldn't help but smile - which by all means wasn't the best start to a mad rant about handouts. So instead I sucked my pride back down and threw some pillows over it - effectively silencing it for the moment - and looked at Motoki sheepishly.

"Arigato," I said almost silently. "But it really wasn't necessary."

"It's okay, we would have just thrown it out," he pointed out again. "You said you needed an application, right?" Reaching under the counter, he pulled a sheet of paper out. "I'm the owner's son, Motoki, so I can go ahead and interview you now, if that's okay."

I nodded dumbly, not expecting to get the job since I had no experience in the work world at all. But anything was worth a shot right now, especially since we needed the money so badly. Shingo finished off his hamburger and fries, sucking on the coke while watching Motoki and I. Smiling handsomely at Shingo, Motoki reached in his pocket and handed him some tokens. "Why don't you go play some games real quick, ne?" Shingo nodded his head, taking the tokens and running off to put them into a race game.

I watched him go, letting quietly letting Luna out of my backpack to watch him, then turned back to Motoki. I could feel my face become heated as I filled out the form. I had never been a waitress, never worked, wasn't from this city, had no permanent address as of yet, and saw no reason whatsoever for him to hire me. Sighing, I put the pen down and handed the application back to him and waited.

His face expression didn't change once while reading over the application. I just knew I wouldn't get the job. Finally he put the paper down and looked at me, at Shingo, then at the paper in his hands. Coming around the counter, he sat down on a bar stool to my left and placed the paper on the counter gently, never meeting my eyes. "Usagi," he began. "Can I ask you some questions, please? I don't want to seem rude, however ..." I nodded grimly, wondering what I had just got myself into. "When did you arrive in Japan?"

I folded my hands in my lap and sighed. Something about this man's honesty, something about the way he spoke, said that I should just tell him as much of the truth as I can. He just seemed like the kind that had good friends, and a huge heart. Some of my pride threatened to leak out and strike, but I pushed it back. I had the feeling I would be doing that more often than not until I got on my feet.

"We just arrived from the United States a couple of hours ago," I began. "Shingo is not my child, as I put on the paper, and I am not twenty two years old." Motoki didn't look very shocked at my words, but only nodded as if confirming an early thought.

"Our parents died a few weeks ago, and we came here where I could start a new life. If I had stayed in the states, they would have put both of us in foster homes, probably separate ones. I couldn't stand to loose him, he's all the family have left." I felt tears well up in my eyes, but I held them back. All of the events over the past two weeks were catching up with me. I had no idea how to support myself and Shingo, how to be a mother to him when *I* still needed a mother. I had no plans for our future, but I knew I wasn't going to loose him.

"I know that I have had no work experience, and I have no home as of yet, but I really need this job." I looked up at Motoki, and saw him staring at me intently. I felt so ashamed, so lost in this huge world that I wasn't ready to face alone. I just wanted to hide in a corner somewhere and disappear.

Motoki rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stood up. Rounding the corner, he pulled out a bag from underneath. Handing it to me, he meets my eyes squarely. "I will expect you to work every weekend, is that a problem?"

Joy rose up in my heart as I took the bag with the uniform in it. Shaking my head, I looked up at him. "No, that's not a problem! I'll work whenever you need me to! Thank you!"

Motoki placed his hands palm down on the counter top before speaking. "There is one more thing you must agree to," he began, and I felt my heart sink. Please, please let this be something I can agree to!

"I want you to enroll yourself in the local high school and finish your education." That was definitely not what I was expecting. I lifted my eyes and saw his soft smile. "I know that you have been through a lot, but I admire your courage and determination. I really think you'll be a hard worker, but you need that education if you are going to make a good life for your little brother."

I felt the first real smile on my face in two weeks and slowly I stood up. "Thank you Motoki-san. You don't know how much this means to me."

Motoki smiled, his eyes brightening up. "I'm just glad I can help you out. Do you have a place to stay?" I weighed my choices, I figured if I could get some tip money I might be able to afford the motel for another couple of nights, and perhaps by then I could have access to more of my parent's money to get us an apartment. I nodded my head quickly, trying to avoid looking directly into the steely blue eyes that were homed in on my expression. Not looking quite convinced, but not so much as to question it, Motoki took the application and placed it in a drawer as Shingo ran up to us.

"Look! Look!" his innocent voice rang out excitedly. "Look what that girl got me!" In his hand was a small UFO catcher doll of a man in a tuxedo, a white domino mask covering his eyes. "Isn't it great?"

A girl with shoulder length aqua hair came up behind Shingo, a man just to her right. Smiling, she patted Shingo on the head and giggled lightly. "That is Tuxedo Kamen," she said, her smooth voice reminding me of the gentle waves of an ocean. "He's a big hero around here."

The man just to her right winked and lazily draped his arm around the woman's shoulders. "He isn't that big of a hero." Leaning forward, the man offered his hand to me and smiled. "I'm Ten'oh Haruka..."

Gingerly I took his hand and smiled, pulling Shingo closer to me as I did so. "I'm Tsukino Usagi, and this is my.. eh, son, Shingo," I sputtered my words out, almost saying "brother" instead of "son". My decision to keep up the lie about Shingo being my child seemed more appealing than explaining my parent's death to anyone else. I didn't want to come off as looking for pity.

The woman blinked and looked at Shingo, as if she knew I was lying and smiled. "My name is Kaioh Michiru," she smiled warmly this time and held her hand out. "You are new in town, ne?"

I nodded my head, felling eyes boring into me. I took a quick glance at Motoki, which hopefully got my desperate plea for his secrecy across. He didn't say anything, but instead went back to wiping the counter down. I directed my attention back to the two in front of me. They seemed so regal, though they couldn't have been over eighteen or nineteen years old. It seemed as if a sense of beauty surrounded them - and mystery. It occurred to me that they held secrets, but surely none as dark as mine. Once more I felt the strain of the recent events take their toll on my body.

"Actually, we just arrived from the States today and the time difference is really taking its toll," I gave as an excuse as I stood. "So we should be heading back to our hotel."

Haruka nodded and ruffled Shingo's hair. "You have quite a little man there. If you two like racing, you should come down to the track sometime," he offered. "No one has beaten me in a while."

Shingo's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "You race cars?!" he asked excitedly. "Wow! Could I see your car sometime? Please?"

"Better ask your mom there, kiddo," Haruka replied, laughing at his enthusiasm. "But it's okay with me if it is with her."

Shingo brought his huge blue eyes up and looked at me expectedly. I couldn't help but smile at him. I wanted him to have the most normal life possible, given the circumstances. Winking at him, I gave him a quick kiss on top is slightly curly blonde hair. "We'll see when my day off comes around, ne?"

Shingo nodded his head and smiled at Haruka. "This will be great!" he shouted and started 'driving' the doll in his hands around the room, making engine noises as he went.

I turned to Motoki and took my wallet out. Before I even had the chance to ask about the bill, he shook his head solemnly and handed me a piece of paper. Times were marked on it and I smiled gratefully at him. "What about my bill?"

"I'll make sure you work it off," he answered, a smile planted firmly on his lips. Without giving me a chance to object, he retreated through the swinging doors and back into the kitchen.

I turned back around to find Haruka and Michiru gone. It was as if the wind had pulled through the doors and swept them away as quick as they had appeared. I sighed deeply, pulled my backpack on and grabbed Shingo's hand. Luna slipped out the door behind us silently. As we headed back towards the hotel, I noticed that the city seemed to have slowed down considerably. The people and cars that passed were few and far between - and most of the walk was silent.

We rounded a corner and I felt fear nail me to the sidewalk. In front of us stood a man wearing a dark mask, a gun in his hand. Shakily, he walked up to us as if attempting his first hold up, and held the gun further out in front of him. "Give me the bag or I kill the kid."

My mind went completely blank and my body numb. I knew that in my backpack was all the money Shingo and I had, but I also noticed that this man was nervous enough to pull the trigger at any second. I gulped audibly and felt the tears welling up in my eyes - Shingo held tighter to my hand, burying his face against my arm.

"NOW!" the man roared. Hastily I slipped the bag off my shoulder, praying he just let us go and didn't decide to shoot us anyway. The man reached out to grab it from my hand and suddenly with a deep guff of air, fell to the ground.

I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or even more scared at what I saw. Behind the thug laying on the ground stood a man in a tuxedo and hat; a white domino mask covering his eyes. "Dajibou ka*?" he asked, his husky smooth voice rang familiar, somehow, to my ears.

"H-Hai," I stuttered, bringing the bag closer to my chest and taking a step back. "Ple-Please don't hurt us," I mumbled, pushing Shingo behind me so that any weapon this man might be holding would hit me first.

His lips twitched slightly, as if amused at my horror filled voice. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." He stepped towards me and I took a step back.

Behind me, Shingo pushed against my arm and smiled. "Look!" he said, holding the doll Michiru had won him at the arcade. "It's Tuxedo Kamen!"

Taking advantage of the moment the strange man looked down at Shingo, I grabbed his hand and ran past the man, pulling Shingo along. We ran all the way back to the hotel, where I hastily shoved the doors open and pushed Shingo inside, following closely. Once I had the doors shut, I turned.

I could see the man, Tuxedo Kamen, standing on the street, just in the shadows from a street lamp near the front of the hotel. I felt tears running down my face as the horror of the situation sank in my mind. He was standing not ten feet from us.

I backed up, but not before I heard him say: "I know who you are." He held his gloved hand out, as if longing to come nearer, longing to touch me. Then he jumped straight up, disappearing out of sight.

Biting my bottom lip to keep from sobbing, I turned on my heel and quickly returned to our room, Shingo in tow - shutting and locking the door behind me.

Once inside the room, I laid my bag down on the floor and fell down on the bed where I really began sobbing. I barely heard Shingo and Luna climb onto the bed beside me. Wearily my little brother patted my back and hugged me tightly.

"It's okay Usagi," he whispered, trying to sound grown up. "Nothing happened. We will be okay when you find your guardians," he tried to assure me.

But it wasn't working. I kept seeing flashes of the man with the gun, and then Tuxedo Kamen as he informed me he knew who I was. And what did that mean, anyways? That he knew I was the princess and he was going to kill me like they did my parents? Or was he on my side? Is that why he saved me? Why did he look like he longed for more than our brief encounter?

Luna lay beside me, purring softly. I fell into an exhausted sleep with one arm around Shingo, but my dreams were full of nightmares of my parent's death. Only instead of just my parents, Shingo was dead also as a bullet embedded itself in his head. I awoke suddenly, the sweat dripping off my forehead as I stifled a scream. Breathing heavily, I looked around blankly for a moment, not recognizing my surroundings. "Luna?"

"Usagi-chan?" Luna said softly from beside me. Slowly she stood, stretching her long feline body out before sitting on my lap, tucking her tail up under her. "Are you okay now?"

Slowly my memories flooded back to my head and I jerked to the side, looking for Shingo. He laid beside me, one thumb stuck firmly in his mouth and some blonde curls falling lazily over his forehead. My breath seemed to slow down to a normal pace and I gently reached over and brushed my fingers over Shingo's forehead, moving the curls to the side. "What time is it..?" I asked absentmindedly.

The black cat looked over to the night table for a brief moment. "About twenty after four. Go back to sleep for a while, in the morning we must begin the search for your guardians."

I began to protest before I heard Shingo's voice beside me. "Then we'll be safe, right Mama?"

I couldn't help how my heart ached to hear the name he called me. After our parent's death, I sat Shingo down and explained to him that I would be his mother for now on - making sure he understood we would never forget our real mother. His tear-filled eyes had looked up at me with a renewed respect as he wrapped his arms around my neck. "Can I call you Mama now?" he has asked. I assured him he could if he felt comfortable doing so but every time I heard the name leave his lips I felt the crack in my heart ache for the mother he really needed.

Gently I reached down and kissed his forehead softly, pulling the covers up higher on his tiny form. "Yes baby, we'll be safe then," I answered.

Luna watched on relieved, before curling up in a ball at the foot of the bed. "Goodnight, Usagi-chan," she mumbled, already following the sand man back to dream world.

I reached over and turned the small light off, lying back down and attempting to reclaim sleep as my own for a few hours longer.

Using her teeth, and more strength than I thought she possessed, Luna managed to pull the heavy drapes back to allow the sun to come sparkling through the small hotel room - straight in on my sleeping form. With about as much grace as a drunk chipmunk, I stumbled out of the bed at the ungodly hour of eight a.m. - and effectively pulled the drapes shut once more before falling back on the bed and snuggling in the ever warm covers.

Satisfied with myself that Luna would not go a second round with the drapes, I drifted back to sleep for approximately 8.2 seconds before the dratted fur ball dropped a cold cloth on my face. "Luna?" I mumbled from under the cloth, sitting up on the bed.

"Yes?" the feline answered, followed by a high pitched shriek as she flew across the room as I yanked the covers from under her form.

"Good morning to you, too," I replied, sitting up on the side of the bed. "Must you be so lively this early in the morning?" I asked as I yawned and stretched my tired limbs.

From across the small hotel room, next to the table where she had landed, Luna gave a disgruntled grunt of annoyance and began washing herself. "I'll have you know I've been up for an hour and let you sleep in," she replied, stopping long enough to give me a pointed look before finishing her bath. "You need to find your guardians and get Shingo - and yourself - enrolled in school. As well as try to acquire some of your parent's money to find a place to live."

I nodded numbly and stared around the hotel room. Having procrastinated as long as I felt I could get away with, I stood up and stretched again before heading towards the bathroom with one of my bags.

I wasn't out of the shower long when I heard Shingo moving around in the other room. Wrapping a towel around myself, I peeked the door open and shuddered as the cold air whooshed into the bathroom, causing cold chill bumps to form on my arms and legs. "Shingo?"

"I'm up!" he called, jumping off the bed and coming to the bathroom doorway. "When are we going to eat?"

I had to laugh at his sweet face, topped by blonde hair sticking up in every available direction. Since Shingo could talk, his first question of the day was when he would be able to eat. "As soon as I get dressed and you take a bath and get dressed."

"Can I take a shower all by myself?" he asked immediately. "I'm a big boy and can do it all by myself now!" he told me proudly, grinning. As I nodded, he ran over and began pulling his bag over to open it, revealing most of his clothing.

It seemed the day was going to start out on a half way normal note - my only hope was that it stayed that way.

When both of us were dressed and ready, I grabbed my backpack and the hotel key off the table and we headed out. Luna stuck her head out of the top of the bag, clearing her throat to begin informing us of where to begin searching for my guardians. Surely I couldn't have got lucky enough to eat before hearing her.

"I have some things your mother gave me before I was placed in my cryogenic sleep. One is your moon wand. Supposedly," she continued, looking off as if at her own memories, "it should begin reacting when we are near one of your guardians. Unfortunately, my memories aren't clear enough for me to be able to tell who they are just from seeing them. And of course, there is also the fact that they are not running around in their fukus. That would make it hard to spot them. Their planet powers give them identity protection, as well. We will not recognize them nor them, us."

"Why don't we just put up a bill board that says 'Senshi wanted, apply within'?" I mumbled, although Luna still heard me.

Since we were a safe distance from the hotel, Luna jumped from my bag and stepped in front of me. "Usagi-chan, please take this seriously. It is for your own protection, as well as the worlds, that we find your guardians and begin to re-establish your royal court. From what I have heard, there has already been some trace of the enemy here in Tokyo." She began walking again, turning ever so often to be sure I was still following. "Some Youma attacks and such, but someone - I'm supposing the Sailor Senshi - have been fighting them off."

Mocking Luna talking, I turned to Shingo and began making faces. He giggled lightly and held tighter to my hand. The feline in front of us stopped for a moment, throwing a rather nasty look at us and began to speak again. "If I may continue," she said hotly, not allowing either myself or Shingo to react before she began again. "The Senshi can not stay ahead of this game for long, I'm afraid. Soon the enemy will become more powerful than them as they gather more energy," here she turned, looking at me with a straight face void of emotions. "Only you can help them defeat the evil." Sighing, she hung her head. "If you do not take your role seriously, I fear for the future of Earth."

Anger made my head snap sharply. My face flushed and I bent down to look at my guardian eye to eye. "You say that," I accused, more than a little hurt on the inside. "Like I don't care. That I have no intentions of fulfilling my role as their princess. I am well aware, Luna, of my job and how I don't have an option, or opinion, on my future."

"Usagi-chan," Luna sighed. "I didn't mean it that way. But you don't seem too interested in finding them. As if this doesn't make top priority on your things to do."

"Luna! For crying out loud! I have just lost my mother and father to one of these.. these Youma's!" Tears threatened to break free from my eyes as I continued my heated rant. "I have to be a mother first, and then a princess!" I explained, holding Shingo in front of me as to emphasize my point.

"Not if you want Shingo to live to see adulthood!" Luna shot back, now standing. "Usagi-chan, I'm tired of being the only responsible one here. If you don't decide to grow up - then I won't pressure you. But instead, I will sit back and wait for the destruction of Earth. That is what will happen if you don't straighten your act up immediately!"

I just stood stark still on the sidewalk. Not caring that more than a few people had stopped to look at me strangely as I spoke to my cat in heated tones.

Shingo stood by my side, his face dark. His hand fell from my grasp and he wiped a tear from his face. Enraged by the look of blame on Shingo's face, I picked him up quickly and turned the other direction. "Luna, I'll assume you didn't mean to imply what you just did. I will see you back at the hotel."

Shingo laid his head on my shoulder, sucking softly on his thumb as I moved in and out of crowds of people, making my way to the parlor we had eaten at the night before. As I passed the corner where we had almost been robbed not twelve hours earlier, my thoughts left Luna's nagging and focused on the strange man who had saved us. It was obvious that he was amused by my attempts to evade him. Does that mean he knows where I am now? That he is following us? Fear clutched at my chest; does he want me dead, too? But that didn't make sense, if he wanted me dead, surely he wouldn't have intervened last night. But try as I might, I couldn't figure out the situation in my head.

As I silently questioned his motives, I hadn't been paying good attention to where I was. As the automatic sliding doors to the Crown Parlor opened, I roughly bumped into someone, nearly dropping Shingo in the collision.

"Gomen!" I squeaked, putting Shingo down and examining him for any injuries. When I looked back up, I was startled to see someone who looked remarkably like myself. Her long blonde hair, the same shade as my own, fell past her knees and her blue eyes were wide as she looked at me. My jaw remained dropped as I stood up, reaching for Shingo's hand. "Eh, um, eh," I stuttered, still gawking at her resemblance to myself.

Shingo, not often known to be speechless, managed to state the obvious. "Hey!" he said, as if someone had insulted me by baring such a strong resemblance. "You look like my Mama!" Did I mention he said this rather loudly, too?

This statement, punctuated by a six year old calling me 'Mama', rounded another - if not even more shocked - look from the girl in front of me. Her mouth moved, but words still seemed beyond her as of yet. Instead, she reached behind her in what looked like an effort to hold herself steady with something. However she pulled an arm in front of her, followed shortly by Motoki. "Eh, Motoki, do.. do you _see_ this?"

Motoki, apologizing to whoever he was talking to whenever this girl interrupted him, turned and upon realizing who I was, smiled brightly. "Morning Usagi-chan," he greeted, then realized that the blonde in front of me was digging her nails into his arm. "Mina-chan," he said sourly. "Would you stop?"

"Huh? Oh!" she instantly let go of his arm, a slight red blush tinting her face and making her seem to glow with beauty. "Sorry Motoki, but this girl... wait... You know her?!"

"Hai, I know her. She is the waitress I told you I hired." His eyes went from me to the girl in front of me as he explained, and then as if the sun had decided to light up his face, he blinked - looked at me, then back at the girl in front of him. "Whoa... Mina-chan, you look a lot like Usagi, did you notice?"

"Baka!" Minako hissed, slapping him on the head lightly. "That's what I've been trying to tell you." Suddenly she let go of his arm and came closer to me, as if examining an animal to see if it was friendly or not. Curiously we studied each other to find any differences. The tension was broke by another female voice, this one a little deeper and much more rougher.

"Minako-chan! I just knew you would be in here!" And before I had time to react, I was yanked around and brought face to face with a raven haired girl. Her violet eyes registered shock as she realized I was not who she presumed I was. "Whoa..." she mumbled, stepping back and running into another girl, this one much taller than any of us. "You are not Minako..."

By this time I had gotten rid of my current silence streak, and gruffly retorted: "Duh!"

However, my new double next to me had taken the time to come to the same quick reply - and had managed a rather similar version of "Duh!" the exact same moment as I, causing the dark haired girl in front of me to look back and forth between us with huge eyes. After getting her eye-full of double blonde haired, blue eyed girls; she then turned to the taller woman behind her and promptly began screaming. "AAAAHHHH! There are two Minako's! The end of the world is upon us! Run for your life!"

The taller woman looked down at the raven haired girl and made a shooing motion with her hand. "Rei-chan, please, there are not two Minako's. Kami-sama wouldn't do that to humankind," she retorted, laughing lightly at the enraged look on Minako's face. "I'm kidding. However," here she looked curiously at me, though - I noted with relief - not like I was an alien force, "you do resemble Minako strongly. I'm Kino Makoto," she reached her hand out, and despite her impressive stature, she had soft hands with beautifully manicured nails that seemed to soften her appearance. "Nice to meet you, even under such odd circumstances."

I took her hand appreciatively and smiled back. "I'm Tsukino Usagi and this," I motioned towards Shingo and patted his head to get his attention. "Is my son, Shingo." There was a slight pause from all three girls as I said "son" - though at this point I was getting used to that reaction - and then they smiled at him.

"I'm hungry!" Shingo stated matter-of-factly, which for some reason brought a round of laughter from the girls in front of me. Each gazed at him as if looking for resemblances to myself, and when they found enough, smiled at me again.

A little freaked out by the turn of events, I picked Shingo up once more and directed my attention towards him. "How about we go get you something to eat then, ne?"

Shingo nodded his head enthusiastically and jumped down, heading to a nearby table. I turned to the three girls, minus Motoki who had disappeared, and gestured towards the table. "Would you like to join us?"

All three nodded their heads and went towards the booth, filing into the seat across from Shingo and I. After the waitress walked off from taking our order, we all sat in a deep silence. Once more, Shingo decided to break it the blunt way. "Why do you look like my Mama?" he asked Minako, slightly leaning over the table as if he were a cross-examiner for the police force.

Minako leaned back and winked. "I don't know kiddo, but your Mama sure is pretty!" she giggled.

"Minako-chan," Rei said lowly. "You said it." Makoto seemed used to Minako's blunt statements though, and laughed lightly without saying anything.

Afraid of the silence coming over the table again, I began talking. "We are new in town and I was wondering if you all knew where Jyuban High was? And perhaps somewhere were I could get an apartment?"

This everyone seemed to have an opinion on, and one thing lead to another. Soon we were all talking over our breakfast about fashions and home decor. I found out that Makoto was rather good with flowers and such, and offered to help me decorate my new apartment when I found it. Rei was a Priestess of a nearby Shinto temple and Minako was dating my new boss. They all seemed to be such close friends that I found it sad. All of my friends at home never offered to help me do anything unless they got something out of it. But these girls were different, they were intent on helping me, and refused anything in the way of payment. It was as if, for the first time in my life, I fit right in with them. They asked my opinion on things, and listened attentively when I spoke. It was as if we had known each other our whole lives - and not about an hour. I felt more at ease than I had in weeks.

And just when I was feeling relaxed and began enjoying myself, thinking perhaps this town wasn't so bad, I saw him. Just a small movement on the top of a nearby building, but it was enough for to catch my eye. Across the street, on the roof of small shop, stood a figure in a black cape and top hat, a domino mask covering his face. I felt fear nail me to my seat and nothing but the words he had said the night before filled my mind: "I know who you are."

Suddenly, I feared for my new friends. What if the enemy killed them in an attempt to get to me, like they did my parents? What if I was putting their young lives in danger just by sitting in the same booth with them? Should I even try to make friends in this town until I find my guardians? Or even then? The question of what should I do filled my mind and blocked out the conversation happening around me.

"Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked, bringing me back from my own world. "Are you okay?" The tall girl reached over the table, placing her hand on my arm and her worried eyes staring at me intently.

"I-" I stumbled over my words, my brain screaming to get away from them before my past hurt them. Before I hurt more people I cared about with my presence. Suddenly I stood, grabbing Shingo's hand and scooting out of the booth. "Gomen, I have to go. See you later." And without thinking twice, I headed out of the Crown Parlor and down the streets of Jyuban as quickly as I could, practically dragging Shingo along.

I wouldn't be able to make friends here. As badly as I yearned to stay with those girls and forget my problems, it seemed they would always catch up to me. I would have to face reality and find my guardians and save the world before I could begin to think about a normal life. Sorrow filled my heart, making me long to spend a few more hours sobbing. But I fought the urge and slowed down as I entered the park. Shingo looked at me questioningly, but said nothing as we walked through the gardens - my head full of  
matters that shouldn't be troubling a normal teenager.

But then again, I'm the Princess of the Moon, when had I ever been a normal teenager?

-End Chapter 1

* - Dajibou ka translates to "Are you okay?"

I have been thinking about this story a lot lately, actually since I saw a post on Facebook that was celebrating 20 years of Sailor Moon (I'm feeling old!), and decided to re-read it. Much to my horror, there were a lot of inconsistencies and errors through out (funny what 13 years can do for your English!). So I've decided it's high time I revised the story. Unfortunately in the past 13 years I have lost the email address attached to the account this is originally posted under and have to post it on a new account. Can't have it all!

I don't think it should take a really long time to revise these chapters, then with any luck I can finish the second book in this series, No Greater Love. I hate leaving things undone, but as I'm sure a lot of my used to be author friends know, life gets in the way! As a single mother of 3 kids that works night shift, I feel like I have less time than ever, but I really want to finish this. It might make way for me to finish some other stories in my life (LE;AH for one….)

Until the next installment, drop me a line on the review page and let me know your thoughts. Thank you for reading. God Bless

Beth


	2. The Opposite Sex

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Original Release: 3/2002  
Revised date: 7/2015

 **Chapter Two - The Opposite Sex**

The sun sat over the city majestically; the red, orange and pinkish tints fading away to let through the night sky. The stars shined back at me as I looked up at the heavens, as if trying to soothe my troubled heart. My first home, the Moon, lit up the night sky with its soft glow. I leaned back in the chair on the balcony of my hotel room and let the rays wash over me. The day had been productive, even if I hadn't found my guardians. I did enroll both myself and Shingo in school and found an apartment that I believed I could afford. This afternoon I had contacted my parent's lawyer in the states and had them wire the rest of our money to me, which was enough to put the first and last month rent up on the apartment.

Shingo had decided that he loved anime, and currently sat happily in front of small television set in the hotel room, eating chips and watching Fushigi Yugi. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to find some peace in myself. I wanted so much to find the three girls I talked to this morning, explain to them why I had acted so rashly, and beg them to be my friends. It had been a wonderful feeling being with them - as if I was part of the family. They seemed so much more than friends, as if they considered each other sisters. I wanted nothing more than to have people like that close to me. I needed people like that in my life.

But instead I had saw him again. And in seeing him, reality came crashing back down onto my happy little world - reminding me that my parents had died ruthlessly at the hands of those who were after me. I couldn't allow that to happen a second time. I refused to put these girls' life in danger because of my destiny. And still a part of me yearned to have friends and be happy.

"Usagi?" a small voice to my left whispered softly. Blinking, I looked over to see Shingo standing beside the chair I sit in, holding a stuffed animal and his favorite blanket. Gently, I reached over and pulled him into my lap, and together we watched the moon shining brightly, like a beacon, in the sky. "Are you unhappy?"

I bit my bottom lip and re-adjusted Shingo in my lap. "Why would you ask that?" I replied innocently, staring up at the sky again.

"You don't look happy." Shingo sat in silence for a moment, staring out at the night as if trying to see what I was looking at. Suddenly he laughed and I turned to him curiously. "Did you see her?"

I looked up at the sky and then down at my little brother questioningly. "See who?"

"The woman on the Moon." Shingo pointed his small finger towards the large glow in the sky and smiled softly. "She says you will be alright, and that I am going to have fun at school!" The little boy on my lap snuggled down into my arms again, a smile of contentment on his face. "That's good, I was scared the other kids wouldn't like me." As if now that he had a great weight lifted off his shoulders, Shingo closed his eyes. I watched him for several minutes until his breathing slowed and his grip on the stuffed animal loosened.

I watched my home for a few more minutes before carrying Shingo into the room and placing him in bed. He instantly snuggled into the covers, a soft smile playing on his lips as he stared to dream. I watched him for a long moment before the eerie feeling of being watched washed over me. With as much caution as I could muster, I turned and saw Tuxedo Kamen standing on the balcony. The vision of Shingo sleeping peacefully invaded my mind and anger replaced the fear I usually felt upon seeing this man. Without a second thought I ran over to the sliding glass doors and swung them open.

To my delight, surprise registered on the man's face and he stepped back as I burst onto the balcony. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" I demanded. "I'm sick and tired of you following me. If you want to kill me, then go ahead and try - but don't drive me crazy by following me!" We both stood on opposite sides of the small balcony, staring each other down. He didn't move one muscle, as though he was a statue. As for myself, I was sure I had stopped breathing long ago. His mask betrayed him and allowed steel blue eyes to stare through and directly at my soul. I felt my heart speed up, pumping so loudly I was certain he could hear it where he stood. My body felt warm even though I tried to fight off any pending blushes. I felt a longing in my soul to be nearer to him, although I couldn't for the life of me figure it out.

Finally, the silence was broken by a siren passing by on the streets below. Tuxedo Kamen looked down and watched the direction the fire truck was heading and then turned back to me. "Shimatta," he grumbled as a small beeping noise to filled the silence between us. I watched as he turned his back to me and brought a small devise on his wrist up to his mouth. "What?"

"There is a Youma attacking at Tokyo Station. This one is looking pretty strong, hurry!" the voice said and then a short lived scream cut the transmission.

Tuxedo Kamen turned and looked at me for a moment before climbing up on the banisters. "Until we meet again." Before I could react, let alone try and  
stop him, he was gone. I saw his form disappearing as he jumped from roof top to roof top.

For a long time I fought the urge to tell Luna about the encounter and follow him. The voice on the communicator he wore said there was a Youma attacking. It was bluntly obvious if he was the enemy, he would have known that. So what did that make him - a friend? And if the person on the communicator was telling him to help, surely that made him an ally at best. "Who is he?" I whispered to myself.

"Usagi-chan," Luna said as she approached me. I gasped and looked over to see my feline guardian sitting on the balcony. She walked in slowly, sitting before me and drawing her tail up beneath her. She hung her head low. A pang of guilt pulled at my heart, but then I remember all too vividly what all she had said earlier and my anger tried to surface again.

"Your memories of the Moon Kingdom and your former life are slowly coming back to you now, so I feel as if I should start to explain more. You know that your home was destroyed by an evil force which your mother fought off with the Silver Crystal - which in turn.."

"Took her life," I whispered softly. I often wished I could remember my real mother, so perhaps I could understand why she felt she must sacrifice herself. "And she restored all life on the Moon Kingdom by placing them in the future, which is how we were reborn," I finished for her, having heard this story a million times.

"That's not all," Luna said softly, looking out towards the Moon as if she could still see that fateful day in her mind. "Do you know why your mother took her life? Why she felt there wasn't another way?" Slowly I shook my head no, knowing something of great importance was about to be said. A solitary tear slid down Luna's face and she swatted it away with her paw. "Months before that battle you had fled from your guardians and stole away to Earth, where you had meet a young man whom you fell in love with. He, too, gave his heart willingly. However, it was a doomed love that should have never happened to begin with." Luna turned her large eyes towards me and cocked her head to the side. "Do you know who it was, Usagi-chan? Why you should have never fell in love with him to begin with?"

I searched my slowly returning memories, but found nothing. In my dreams I have seen the silhouette of a man sometimes, and I felt a yearning for him, but I could never see his face. The image haunted my mind now as Luna began speaking again.

"Prince Endymion - the young prince from Earth - was the man you loved with all your soul. Your mother forbid you to return to Earth to see him, but you were of strong mind and will and her words only drove you head strong into his arms. An evil force began feeding on the jealousy of the Earthlings souls, turning them evil and vengeful. They attacked the Moon Kingdom, bent on taking the Silver Crystal for their own. The last night on the Moon, Endymion came with those attacking - but he came to protect you. Bravely he fought against his own people, up until the end he begged them to see reason."

I felt my breath draw in sharply when Luna spoke the words "until the end" - the vague silhouette of the man came before my frightened eyes again, only this time I pictured him with dark hair and eyes as blue as the planet I had longed for. "No.." I whispered.

"As the evil witch Beryl pulled her sword up to kill you, Endymion jumped in the path of the blade and took the blow. I stood to the side, horrified, as he fell into your arms, blood pooling around you. I couldn't hear the words exchanged, but in a swift moment after his last breath, you raised the sword and brought it down into your chest." Luna now cried openly, still staring at the gorgeous Moon high in the sky. Crowds talking all at once, frightened voices, rang out in my head as my memories once more invaded my mind. "Queen Serenity saw it all. Her face bore salty trails of tears as she raised her Moon Rod and let loose the mighty power of the Moon Kingdom. Her last words before Artemis and I were placed in sleep were to see you safe - and to let you love your prince this time, without worlds to keep you apart."

The final words that left Luna's mouth stayed in the air between us for a long moment. I felt sick to my stomach, as if I could vomit whatever I had ate today. Tears swam in my eyes and fell in short streams down my face. I had committed suicide. And then it made sense, all the times I thought Luna was being over protective - she had reason. She had watched me die once in her lifetime. I fell out of my chair and onto my knees on the floor, wrapping my arms around my guardian and hugging her tightly to my chest. "I'm sorry Luna, so sorry you had to see that."

We sat silently for a moment, bathing in the light of her revelations. She had lived with that for so long, remembering as she watched her world crumble down around her. Suddenly I was afraid to remember my home. Even as I longed to remember my mother and this Prince of Earth - a part of me didn't want to remember the horror or the heartbreak that came with it. I sat up on my knees, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. "Luna, how do I find my guardians? Do I have the power to stop this evil that they are fighting? Are you sure that I have it in me?"

Luna stared, wide-eyed at me, as I began rambling on about the uncertainty of my future. I always thought Princess' were these beautiful women in long gowns that walked around and told everyone what to do. In real life, however, I was finding that past all the glamour I thought I would have as a "Princess", there was much, much more to it. These guardians that I had yet to meet were counting on me to save this world - and that frightened me to the very bone. I was frightened by failure, but determination ran deep in my blood. I wouldn't let what happened on the Moon repeat itself, even if it meant spending the rest of my life fighting.

"Bring out the locket I gave you," Luna instructed. "The stone inside is the Silver Crystal of the Moon people - your people. The same stone your mother, Queen Serenity, used to place us all here." Luna took a deep breath. "Repeat after me." I stared at the small heart shaped locket in my hand. I knew that once I done as Luna instructed, there would be no turning back. It was time to run head long into my destiny - and embrace it like the Princess I am. Closing my eyes, I did as Luna said.

"Moon Crystal Power - Make-up!" Luna said.

"Moon Crystal Power - Make-UP!" I called. I wasn't sure, but just as the light consumed my form and the power surged through my veins, I thought I saw the vision of a woman. She had hair done up in pony tails with buns at the top, and a form fitting dress curved with her figure. What caught my eye though, was the Moon symbol on her forehead. She smiled at me and then was gone. The warm light engulfed me, giving me a rush of power that surged through my body and sang out at the tips of my fingers. My senses overloaded with the sweet taste of the power that ran deep in my veins, giving me a feeling of courage that I knew I didn't normally possess. What could have been only seconds went on for an eternity before everything seem to calm down and give way for my eyes to see the hotel room in which I stood. Luna watched me as if she were holding her breath, and waited for my reaction.

Slowly I realized that I had one hand on my forehead and one on my waist. Feeling foolish I pulled them down and examined myself in the full length mirror on the bathroom door. The outfit I wore covered little, to say the least. I felt half naked standing in the short skirt that barely covered my bottom. A white body suite with a blue skirt and large red bow across my chest caught my eye in the mirror. My hair that was normally down was suddenly up in two pony tails with buns at the top, and a beautiful moon symbol shined proudly on my forehead. The vision of the woman came to me again, and suddenly I understood that what I had seen was my mother - and she looked so very proud. I turned around to see my reflection from more than one side before looking at Luna again.

"Well?" my feline guardian said impatiently.

"I'm cold," I stated flatly and cracked a smile. "It doesn't cover much, does it?"

Luna looked at me quizzically for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Well, I don't believe we can help that." The smile dropped off her face and she did a little jump in the air. I found myself wondering what else Luna had hidden in that magic spring of hers. The Moon shaped object that she had earlier appeared again. "This is your weapon. You have other attacks, but this is your strongest. It will release the power of the Moon on whoever you point it at. But it also drains your energy to an extent, be careful when using it for a long period of time. It draws it's power from the Silver Crystal. And as I explained earlier, this will help us in the search for your guardians."

I took the wand gingerly and held in the palm of my hand as I examined it. There were some words inscribed on it, but in a language that I couldn't understand. "Luna, what is this?" I asked, pointing to the words on the handle.

The black feline looked at the wand curiously, cocking her head to the side and studying the inscription. "I'm not sure, it's written in the old language used by the ancient Queens of the Moon. It was a language that only the Queens and daughters knew. I'm sure once you regain your full memory of your life on the Moon, your old lessons in this language will come back to you." Swooshing her tail back and forth, Luna began pacing the room. "I overheard the short conversation - if that is what you want to call it - between you and the man dressed in the tuxedo. Use that wand and go find the fight, even if you do nothing but watch from the sidelines. We need to determine how strong the enemy has become since arriving on Earth."

I stared blankly at my guardian, wondering exactly how much else she knew that she thought she would drop on me at a moment's notice. Clutching the Moon Wand in one hand, I headed towards the balcony in determined strides. Turning back to Luna, I smiled faintly. "And what if Enemy is too strong, do I join in the fight?"

Luna blinked and looked at me again, as if gaining a new respect for me as I stood in the Moon light on the balcony. "Yes, but please be careful, Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon, huh? I liked the ring of that. I jumped from the balcony, using my new found source of strength to land gracefully on the concrete below. I then took off in the direction I had seen Tuxedo Kamen go in earlier. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, causing my ears to throb with the painful reminder that if I failed tonight - I wasn't only failing as a Princess - I was failing at saving the world. But there was no going back now. It was my duty as Sailor Moon to fight beside my guardians and save the world from the enemies that threatened it. I ran faster.

* * *

I wasn't sure what it was I was expecting to see. Perhaps in the back of my mind I pictured this awesome monster that stood ten feet tall with razor sharp fangs and black empty eyes. But what greeted me in the small clearing by the lake's edge was far from the hideous creature in my mind's eye and almost made me double over in laughter.

Instead I was face to face with a tall woman - though if fashion statements this scary counted as gruesome, then she had scared me to death. She had red hair blazing out in all directions and her evil laugh cackling in the air. Earlier I had thought I was underdressed; but this monster put me to shame in my rather revealing skirt. She wore nothing more than a bikini top that revealed an enlarged chest area that currently bore a small hole that was pulling in life energy from a nearby pedestrian. Her long red nails clawed unmercifully out and towards the Senshi that surrounded her; leaving long scratches on their skin and had them staggering backwards.

"Venus Love Me CHAIN!"

From the blonde haired Senshi standing to the left of the monster came a long chain of small golden hearts that flew at the under-dressed Youma at lightening speed. It struck her hand that was stretching out to claw the Senshi dressed in red. It recoiled back, and then lost interest in the life force of the young man in its grasp as it flew out to attack Venus. Suddenly my mind filled with another battle, the long golden chain of love striking out at a large black mist that covered the sky. The dark power that seemed to hover over the entire planet sucked the chain in - dragging my friend and guardian with it. My terrified scream covered the dark air in my memory. Shaking my head, I rid my mind of the horrible scene.

As my eyes came back into focus, I saw the Youma holding Venus by the leg, dangling her high above the ground and threatening to drop her. With speed I didn't know I possessed, I jumped into the clearing and grabbed a stick, puncturing the beast's arm and grabbing Venus. Both of us landed rather hard on the ground, rolling to a stop about a yard from the enraged monster.

The Senshi of Love opened her eyes slowly and looked at me for a long moment before she opened her mouth to speak. Gasping for air, she fought to put her thoughts into words. Finally she managed a slight mutter. "Sailor Moon.." she whispered, her eyes wide. "You came... finally..."

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" I turned my head to the side just in time to see the monster standing in a giant shields of ice. Within it you could see it fighting to break free. "Hurry!" the Senshi in blue yelled, a small computer looking devise in her hand. "We don't have a lot of time to attack it before it breaks free!"

Without thinking I stood and faced the source of our problems. I wouldn't sit back and watch as my guardians were defeated again. I could vaguely remember wanting power so bad during that last battle. To be able to do something, instead of sitting by and feeling helpless. And in this life, I had gotten my wish. No sense in wasting it. Pulling the Moon Wand out that Luna had given me earlier, I noticed it was shining brightly. I lifted it above my head and closed my eyes. "Selene, please help me," I asked quietly before I felt the power in my body gather and rush towards the weapon in my hand.

"Moon Healing... Escalation!"

What happened next would be told to me later as I awoke with the warm feeling of the Earth beneath me. As it was told by Sailor Mercury, I released the power of the Moon and killed the Youma that possessed the human with the light of my power. However, because I had no previous experience using this power - I nearly drained myself to death.

The next thing I remembered was the sensation of falling towards the ground, and a pair of strong arms catching me in mid air. I blinked my eyes open slowly and saw a familiar set of stormy blue eyes looking worriedly into mine before I passed out.

"...she hasn't used that power before. I told her to be careful," I heard Luna explaining this to someone else - though at the time I couldn't say who. My head felt heavy and my body exhausted. Swallowing, I found my throat was terribly dry and irritated. The only thing close to words I could manage was a faint sound from my throat that reminded me of a frog sitting on a lily pad in a pond.

"She's awake!" a voice rang out as I closed my eyes in exhaustion. I opened them again and saw Venus sitting above me, biting her lip worriedly. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, brushing a piece of stray hair away from my face. I tried to nod my head yes, but the heaviness wouldn't allow it.

Venus looked over to my other side at Sailor Mercury who sat there scanning me with a small computer devise. She typed, pushed on her earring, which let out a small visor, and then began typing again. A distressed look covered the blue haired Senshi's face as she closed her computer and visor. "It would appear that the same energy she drained that put her in the situation she is in now - is the same power that is helping her recover. So herefore, I see no reason why she is in any immediate danger. However, if she had released all of the power, there would be none left to heal her, and the damage would be irreversible."

"In other words," another voice interrupted, it's origin pushing through the crowd, "she will be just fine."

I blinked back some of the heaviness in my eyes to look up and see another woman dressed in a Senshi outfit. She had short blonde hair and a sword clutched in one hand. She peered at me over the shoulder of Venus and squinted her nose up in a superior fashion. "Sailor Moon, eh? I was beginning to wonder if the day would ever come that we would be in your presence."

My body seemed to draw energy from within myself, feeding off a source of power I hadn't known existed. The longer I grew aware of everyone around me, the easier it became to move my head and open my eyes. Slowly my limbs began listening to the instructions my mind yelled out, and moved at my will. In what seemed like an eternity, I found the strength to sit up with Venus' help. The crowd around me was larger than I first thought. It seemed there were women in Senshi uniforms everywhere. Sitting next to me on the ground was Luna, her tail tucked neatly under her form as she watched me take in my surroundings.

"Well, it's about time you decided to wake up," Luna said matter of factly, peering at me as she stood and walked closer. "I told you to be careful..." Sighing, she hung her head. "I suppose since it was your first time using the power, I'm lucky you're alive." I blinked and looked at her suspiciously, wondering where this new air of authority came from. It wasn't an hour earlier she when had looked scared when I left the hotel to fight this battle - the first of many, I was sure.

Instead of addressing Luna, I looked around again. To my left was a Senshi in red, one in green and one in aqua. More stood to my right, two in blue, one in yellow and another standing off to the back in green. In front of me was Tuxedo Kamen, watching me with a strange glint in his eyes. I shivered involuntarily and looked at Luna. To my surprise, another cat sat beside her, white with the same moon symbol that stood out so proudly on Luna's forehead glimmering on its forehead. "Exactly how many Senshi are there?" I asked softly, trying to remember the other three - but not placing who they were.

Venus looked the most willing to answer my question. Biting her lip softly, she pointed to herself. "I am Sailor Venus, this is Sailor Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto," she explained, pointing to the different Senshi who nodded their heads. "And I don't know about anyone else here, but I'm glad we finally have you among us."

"I hate to break up this little reunion," Jupiter broke in, coming closer to me. "But it seems the police have shown up and that means it is time for us to split."

Nodding her head, Tuxedo Kamen came closer to me and reached out. Instinctively, I jumped back.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered, the slightest hint of a smile playing softly on his full lips. "But we have to get out of here and I don't think you are in any condition to be running."

Nodding my head, though I wasn't too ecstatic about the idea, I allowed him to put one arm under my legs and one on my back. Easily he picked me up, as though I weighed no more than a feather, and pressed me firmly against his chest as he sprinted towards the sky. Gracefully we landed on the tree above us and he began springing from limb to limb through the park. Fearfully I closed my eyes, waiting for him to hit a weak limb or to drop me. The further we made it without incident the more comfortable I felt, and the warmness and heart pounding began again in earnest. I tried to avoid his eyes, but I could see him trying not to smile.

A few moments later we landed on the ground again, this time breaking into a run. "I won't drop you," he said lowly, smiling at me as I peeked out from under my tightly closed lids. "I would never hurt you, Usagi."

The shock of hearing my name from the lips of Tuxedo Kamen didn't register until we stopped a few blocks away in an alley. Being extra careful, he put me softly on the ground and kept his arms around me until I regained my balance. Waving my hands at him, I blinked a couple of times. "I'm okay." Looking around, I noticed that the other Senshi had also made it to the alley way and were conversing softly a few feet away. I looked back at Tuxedo Kamen and tilted my head to the side. "How do you know my name?"

"I just do," he replied, walking past me and rejoining the rest of the group.

The nerve! I wanted so bad to ask him what kind of games he was playing; one minute I would bet my life he cared for me, the next he seemed to go out of his way to make me mad. Resolutely I walked up to the group, determined to set Tuxedo Kamen straight before the night was over. Rather than take it up with him in front of everyone, however, I bit my tongue and pushed my way through the crowd of Senshi.

When I joined the conversation, Luna was talking. "How long have the attacks been happening?"

"On and off for a couple of months," Uranus answered, running her hand down the length of her sword. The moon light shined on it, creating a small sparkle that traveled from one end to the other. Placing it back in its case, she attached it to her side and moved her weight to her other foot. "So now that we have Sailor Moon among us, I suppose we start the search for the Princess, ne?"

Startled, I looked from Luna to Uranus and back again, making my eyes wide at my guardian. I was the Princess, wasn't I? Why didn't they know that? Clearing her throat, Luna stood. "We should go."

"Luna.." I said lowly, motioning towards the Senshi in what I hoped was a secret way. Then what she said hit me, Shingo was alone? What if he woke up? He would be frightened to death! My eyes wide, I scooped up my guardian cat and left everyone staring at me with surprise as I left them standing there.

As we began towards the road, Luna cleared her throat. "Put me down," she ordered. From the tone of her voice, I didn't want to argue the point. Quickly I put her down and crossed my arms, vaguely realizing that the Senshi weren't twenty feet behind me watching us. "Shingo is alright, I left him not twenty minutes ago with Sailor Saturn."

"You left him with a stranger, and you say he will be alright?" I asked sarcastically, glaring at her. "If he wakes up looking for me he will be scared to death, Luna. You shouldn't have left him," I accused her.

Luna looked to the ground for a moment, as if trying to gather what she was going to say. I expected her to lash out at me, or something to that nature. So that when she looked up at me with tears in her eyes, I felt myself gasp in surprise. "Usagi," she began whispering. "Saturn came to me, telling me that you had passed out and had not yet begun to recover. The first thing I thought of was that you were going to die. I can't explain what started running through my mind, so my reaction was to get to you. I'm sorry you feel like I acted rashly, but please consider my feelings here, too."

For a long moment I debated on whether to continue the conversation or just get back to Shingo. Finally I bent to one knee and reached out my hand. "I'm sorry, Luna." She said nothing as I reached to pick her up again. Stealing into the shadows so not to be seen dressed as Sailor Moon, I slipped quietly in the night, still wondering why the Senshi didn't know they had already found the Princes-but determined to ask Luna about it later.

When I re-entered the hotel room, a small girl was sitting in the chair across from the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. She couldn't have been more than fourteen years old, yet still she was dressed in a purple fuku. As I quietly shut the door, she slowly lifted her head and violet eyes blinked back in shock.

"I didn't mean to wake you," I said softly, quickly going over to the bed and tucking the covers around my young brother. Quietly he snored on, not even realizing what all had happened as he slept. For that I was thankful. He didn't need his life disrupted more than he already had been.

Sailor Saturn stood, barely four and a half feet in height and walked over to me. "He didn't wake up at all. I'm sorry to have fallen asleep, Princess."

"How do you know..." I began, baffled by the petite Senshi.

Gracefully she bowed to one knee. "I am the Senshi of Destruction, Sailor Saturn. And you are the one whom we have waited so long for, Princess Serenity." She didn't wait for me to answer before she continued. "The Prince told me where to come and find Luna, I hope you are well now."

Before I could answer I was fine, everything in her short sentence became clear to me and quickly I sat on the bed. "The Prince...?" I breathed.

Saturn's short black hair moved like a gentle wave around her head as she nodded. Softly she sat back down in the chair and placed her hands in her lap. "Long ago I was the guardian of the dead planet, Saturn. As the Solider of Death, I wasn't allowed to roam the universe as the other Senshi did. But in this life I was reborn here, on Earth, with the ability to be a normal child without my past haunting me. However, evil soon found its way to this time and I was awakened again. This time the Powers-That-Be granted me my wish from long ago. I can now fight beside the other Senshi and not be so lonesome. I see your wish was granted, also."

I looked down at my fuku and nodded my head. I could still remembering vividly my wish to fight. I hated to stand by and simply watch as others risked their lives to protect me. I looked back at the young girl in front of me-so much had been placed on her shoulders at such a young age. I felt bad for her, but she didn't seem to mind it much. It was as if she was content with who she was. I wish I could find the same peace within myself. "Where were you and the other outer Senshi in the last battle? I don't remember you being there..." my voice drifted off as I meet her gaze.

"The Outer Solar System had already been defeated, the enemy was too strong for us and one by one we failed. Foolishly, I didn't use my ultimate attack. I didn't bring down the end of it all for hope that perhaps your guardians would be the ones to win. From what I have gathered, after your death, the end came anyways-but not in the form in which my attack would have lead us. I can end the world, but only you and your mother have the power to bring life back."

Saturn's words rang in my ears long after she left. As she walked towards the balcony, she had turned to me and smiled softly, whispering that all would work out in the end. She then jumped from the balcony, like so many had been doing tonight, and left me sitting and wondering. It didn't occur to me until later how she had avoided my question about the Prince she spoke of, but I had this deep feeling that I already knew.

The morning sun didn't greet me as it had the day before. Instead it was as if the clouds had burst and rain poured drearily over the city. The occasional thunder rolled through out, reeking havoc on my poor soul. Every time a flash of lighting lit up the room, my heart seemed to stop until the thunder clap behind it was done.

Seeking comfort from the thickness of my pillow, I pulled it over my head and easily went back into a deep sleep. This wonderful retreat from the frightening world around me was not to last long, however. The television I had kept on to entertain Shingo if he awoke before me was not as enthralling to my younger brother as I had hoped. Instead I was awakened by a pillow being thrown repeatedly at my head.

"Usagi!" he whispered, hitting me again. "Usagi, are you awake?"

"I am now," I groaned, rolling over to avoid the constant thud of the pillow against my head. "Go watch television," I pleaded, pulling the blankets up around me. "I'm tired."

For a surprisingly short minute, I thought he was going to listen. Then as I felt his small body bounce on my bed once more, I remembered exactly how much like me he actually was. When I was his age, there wasn't anyone in the house sleeping past seven a.m. - why should I expect him to allow me to?

"Usagi.." he drawled out, whispering as if he was trying to _not_ disturb me.

When had sleeping late become a crime, anyways? Between him and Luna, there wasn't to be a moment's peace. Then I had to wonder, why wasn't Luna over here telling me to get up? I knew we had to check out by eleven, which meant she should have been telling me to get up by now. Slowly I peeked out from underneath my pillow...and practically screamed in fright.

While I was laying there debating if I really wanted to know where Luna was, Shingo had gotten as close to me as he could muster and was barely two inches from my face as I peeked out. The sight of his disordered hair and huge blue eyes staring at me when I wasn't expecting them, nearly had me clawing at the opposite wall for an escape.

The look on my face must have been extremely funny, as Shingo plopped down on the floor and broke out in a fit of laughter.

Not nearly as amused as a certain child on the floor was, I pulled myself up off the bed and into a sitting position. After blinking back the sleep in my eyes, the room became more clear and I noticed that the rain had finally stopped, though it looked as if it might begin again any moment. As if Mother Nature could hear my thoughts, a small roll of thunder sounded off in the distance. "Ugh," I moaned, feeling a cold chill travel up my body. "I don't wanna get up. This is a good day for sleeping." Determinedly, I pulled the covers up around my body and began to lower myself towards the bed when I heard the sliding glass doors being pushed opened. For a split second I thought it might be Tuxedo Kamen, or worse, an enemy. As I watched, a small flash of lightening cracked across the sky, silhouetting Luna's form as she squeezed through the small opening.

Letting out a breath of relief, I sat up on the bed once more. Luna looked around the small room expectantly before looking at me. "Do you know what time it is?"

Puzzled, I reached for my wrist watch and stared in horror at the small digets. "Oh my God, it's a quarter to eleven!"

Without a second thought, I leaped from the small bed and grabbed Shingo's clothes from the suitcase. "Put these on!" I instructed as I ran from one end of the room to the other, gathering up clothes and throwing them haphazardly into suitcases and backpacks. I glanced in the mirror just long enough to pull the brush through my hair before the brush was jammed into the suitcase.

Ten minutes later I stood in the lobby of the hotel, Shingo looked around as if he was scared of what would happen after we left. It was a large world out there, and we stood alone in the middle of it. Where were the riches that came with being a Princess now?

After leaving the bank, we dragged our bags down the sidewalk as I searched for the address of the apartment I had rented. I hadn't had nearly this much trouble finding it the day before. It seemed as if I had turned myself around and we were walking in circles. Shingo groaned, his feet hurting, but I kept pulling him along, looking frantically for the correct road sign.

When I came upon the same restaurant for the second time, I stopped and put my bags down on the ground. "Sorry Shingo," I mumbled, turning one of the suitcases on it's side so he could sit on it. "It seems we are lost."

Luck may have been on my side today, for seconds after I said that, a car holted in front of us, the horn blaring. One tinted window rolled down, revealing a blonde haired man. "Usagi, ne?" he asked, smiling at Shingo and waving.

As I approached the car, I saw Michiru, the woman we had meet in the arcade two nights before, sitting in the passenger seat. "Konnichi' wa, Haruka-san, Michiru-san," I said politely as I leaned down to the window.

Michiru smiled, her hair flowing down around her as she leaned forward to see me better. "How are you?"

Nervously, I bit my bottom lip. The clouds above threatened to let go another round of storms soon, and I didn't want to be caught in it. Especially with Shingo, Luna and all of our belongings spread across the sidewalk.

"Well," I admitted slowly, looking back at Shingo. He was sitting on the suitcase, swinging his feet back and forth. "I seem to be a little lost." I brought  
out the piece of paper that I had the address wrote on and handed it to Haruka.

Looking at it quickly, he nodded her head. "I know where that is, but it's a little far to walk, especially since it looks like it's starting to rain." Quickly he handed the paper back to me. "Want a ride?"

As if to make up my mind for me, a small drop of rain fell on my nose, sliding slowly down the side of my face. I looked over at Shingo and saw him swatting a drop off himself. "I would appreciate it," I replied, smiling.

Haruka jumped out of the car, easily picking up most of my luggage and laying it in the trunk of his car. Shingo slid in the back seat, holding tightly to the Tuxedo Kamen plushie they had won for him two nights before at the arcade. As Haruka pressed the gas and we sped off, Michiru turned around in the seat and smiled at Shingo. "You still have that, ne?"

Shingo nodded his head, smiling and hugging the doll to him. "Yes Michiru-san, thank you again."

"Your welcome," she said polietly, then spotted Luna sitting on my lap. "Oh!" she exclaimed, reaching out to rub her head. "How kawaii!" Luna purred, leaning up so that Michiru could rub the rest of her back. "I would like to get a cat, but I'm afraid my daughter is allergic."

"Speaking of Hotaru," Haruka interrupted, looking at me in the rear view mirror. "Do you mind if I stop and pick her up? She was suppose to be shopping over near where I'm taking you."

Shaking my head, I smiled. "I don't mind at all." Who was I to object anyways? Since they had offered me a ride and got both myself and Shingo out of the rain that was now beginning to pour down around the car.

Suddenly I caught sight of something that I wasn't expecting. The small strap of a bra was sticking out of the collar of the shirt Haruka wore. Blinking, I looked again. It was still there. Michiru saw my gaze and giggled lightly, turning in her seat as if she could read my mind.

Haruka cleared his throat and looked in the rear view mirror at me once more. "Are you going to bring Shingo down to the race track this evening? The race begins at seven. Rain or shine."

"Please?" Shingo pleaded immediately from beside me, his blue eyes large and his bottom lip pouting out adorably. "I want to see Haruka-san race!"

"We will see what kind of nap you take," I said, wagging my finger at him playfully. "If you take a good nap, then we'll go."

Shingo nodded his head enthusiastically and grinned. "I didn't know that girls drove race cars. Are you very good?"

Somewhere in the back of my mind, about two seconds later, what my brother said sunk in and softly I said to him, "Haruka-san is a man."

Michiru began giggling and Haruka look bewildered. It was one of those embarrassing moments in life that you would you didn't have to go through. Those, that when looked back on years afterward, still made your face flush a deep red. My face burned as Michiru turned around and smiled at me, still trying to contain her laughter. "Oh no," she corrected, trying to regain control of herself. "Haruka is a woman."

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that was coming, but still I blushed a even deeper red and tried to clear my throat before I could speak. "Gomen," I squeaked.

Haruka finally laughed lightly, shaking her head a little. "It's okay," was all she said before pulling off the side of the road in front of a young girl. Stepping out of the car, Haruka pulled the seat forward to allow her to get in. "This is our daughter, Hotaru. Hotaru, this is Usagi and her son, Shingo."

The petite girl nodded polietly and handed her bags to Haruka to put in the trunk. Nervously, I smiled at her. Still trying to let the word "daughter" sink in my mind. After all I had seen in my life, you wouldn't think that this would come as such a shock to me. Indeed it had, however.

"Haruka-papa," Hotaru said, pulling out a credit card. "Here is your card back. I didn't spend too much," she giggled.

We drove around another block before Haruka pulled the car over again, this time in front of a large apartment building. Haruka cut the engine and got out.

After we had gotten our bags from the trunk, Haruka stepped back into the car. "You make sure you take a good nap, Shingo," she said seriously. "I'll be looking for you at the race tonight."

I smiled as Shingo once more nodded his head and we stepped back from the car. "Thank you so much for the ride, Haruka-san."

"Anytime, neko-chan*," she said, winking at me before pulling away from the curb and back into traffic.

I let out a deep breath and began gathering our bags together once more. The lobby of the apartment was simple, two large elevators were straight ahead. The landlord's apartment was just to the left, the maintance man's to the right. Slowly we made our way to seventh floor and started down the hall. Every door looked the same, and I couldn't help thinking it would be funny if someone was to come down and take all the names and numbers off. It would be extremely hard to find one's room then.

The next to the last door on the left was our apartment and I dropped all the bags at my feet and searched for the key. The door groaned slightly when I opened it and picked up our bags to place them inside. Shingo ran from room to room, looking for something interesting. Suddenly he came out of the bedroom at the end of the small hallway, screaming that he wanted that one for his own. Since he hadn't wanted the larger bedroom, I happily agreed - letting him think it was his idea from the start.

The apartment had said furnished on the papers I had, but their idea of furnished and mine was totally different. The living room held one couch that looked as if he had just escaped World War II. A coffee table and one other chair on the other side of the room matched - well, it might have at one time - the couch. In the middle of the kitchen was a small table surrounded by four chairs. Each bedroom held one twin size bed, a bedside table and a small dresser.

After Luna was done inspecting the apartment, she jumped up on my bed. I opened all of the suitcases and began to rummage through them. I began pulling out my clothes and placing them on hangers in the closet. Shingo had his bags and was suppose to be putting his stuff away, though I imagined I would have to go and redo it all when he was asleep.

"I think you should take those quilts your grandmother made and place them over the couch and chair. It would cover some of the stains on the upholstery and give them a more at home look," Luna suggested, curling her tail around her.

"I wonder if they have yen stores here, like our dollar stores in the U.S.?" I asked, half seriously, but mostly joking. Luna shrugged, well, I suppose that is what you would call it. Since I'm not sure if cats can shrug or not. "Either way, we need some cleaning supplies, groceries and some curtains," I mused almost silently, looking at the windows and out into the city. Sitting down on the bed, I pulled out my purse and began counting money. Sighing, I dropped it all back in. "Well, looks like we'll be eating instant ramen and rice for a while."

The ringing of the doorbell caught me by surprise, especially since I wasn't expecting anyone to be visiting me. The only people who even knew where I lived were Motoki, Haruka and Michiru. I doubted it was any of them. Slowly I walked to the front door and tried to look in the peek hole. There was so much dirt in it, I couldn't see through it. "Hai?"

"House warming!" a chorus of voices rang out.

Puzzled, I cracked the door open and saw Rei, Makoto, Minako and Ami standing on the other side, each holding bags in both arms. "Can we come in?" Minako asked.

"Eh, yeah," I mumbled, holding the door open wider and allowing them to file in. I felt so badly from the way I had treated them the day before that I couldn't turn them away. Surely no enemies knew where I was. I just moved in an hour before hand.

Makoto went straight for the kitchen with her three bags and began pulling things out. "I hope you don't mind us barging in like this," she began while pulling out cakes and casseroles. "Mina-chan talked Motoki into telling us where you moved to and we thought we would get you some house warming gifts. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to cook!" she giggled. She placed the containers in the refrigerator after opening one and setting it on the table in front of Shingo. Shingo looked like he could hardly contain himself.

"Mako-chan is a master chief!" Minako boasted. "She makes all sorts of mouth watering dishes. I love when she cooks."

Hearing them babble on in such a friendly way, I couldn't help but smile. They barely knew me, I had been rude to them. Yet here they were bringing wonderful things over and acting like we had been friends all our lives. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to be friends with them, as long as I was careful.

Rei brought out some beautiful curtains and began hanging them on the windows, as well as some wall scrolls of a forest scene. "If you don't like these, just tell me," she said pointedly.

I shook my head, expressing that I thought they were beautiful. But really what made it more so was that I wasn't alone. Their happy chatter filled the rooms with a beautiful melody. One that I was sure minutes before would never be heard in these rooms. Surely for a few hours it wouldn't hurt to forget my past, forget my future and just live. Be a teenager, and live.

I should have known better. To be honest, nothing in my life was that simple and in the back of my mind, I knew it wouldn't be now.

Minako opened her bag and out jumped a white cat. "I hope you don't mind me bringing him along," she said. But I barely heard her. Flashes from the night before clouded my mind, another white cat sitting beside Luna, talking. With the same yellow crescent moon symbol blazing on it's forehead that Minako's cat had.

I suppose whoever said it first was right - it is a very small world.

-End Chapter 2.

*neko-chan translates to "kitten"

I am so thrilled how many people are reading and following my story! Thank you for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

I am currently watching Sailor Moon Crystal. If you have Hulu and can watch it, do it! It's awesome! I'm so excited that it follows the manga! I read several bad reviews but I can't imagine what their problem is - I LOVE it. Of course, I was always disappointed in the first anime and how little it followed the manga storyline, so of course this is thrilling me to death :)

I'm off work for four days, so I imagine I will get several more chapters re-done and published in the next few days.

God bless!

Beth


	3. Have some coffee to go with that?

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Published: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter Three - Have some coffee to go with that?**

It was about two seconds after I stopped staring at the white cat that Luna discreetly called me into the bedroom. More or less, she made a loud screeching noise that nearly had all of us jumping out of our skin. Giving a rather lame laugh, I sprinted into the bedroom, telling the others I had a clumsy cat. Once I was inside, Luna crawled under the bed and pushed out my Moon Wand - which was glowing brightly.

"One of them is a sailor Senshi," Luna whispered to me.

"Well, unless this city is full of cats with crescent moon bald spots, I already knew that," I threw back at her, nodding my head towards the living room. "That white cat that was with them last night is Minako's, and he's here."

"Artemis?" Luna said, almost wistfully. I had this bad feeling it was kinda like puppy.. erm, I mean "kitty" love from the look on her face. Slowly Luna came out of the bedroom and I followed close behind. She walked into the kitchen where she jumped up on the counter and proceeded to sit down next to the white cat. The look on his face was priceless. Do I ever wish I had a camera!

Slowly Luna looked around at the four girls throughout the living room and kitchen. Nodding her head, she cleared her throat. "You are all Sailor Senshi, ne?"

My cheeks burned like someone as if lit them on fire. Quickly I covered my face and waited for them to go screaming around the room shouting about the end of the world and talking cats. It took a few moments before I realized that I had yet to hear one single scream. They fainted, I decided, peeking out from behind my hands. I have four girls sprawled out across my floor, fainted dead away. How was I ever to explain this one? Gathering up as much courage as I could muster, I brought my hands down more and saw them all staring at Luna. Wonderful, just peachy. They didn't faint, damn my luck. It would be harder to explain if they didn't faint, perhaps hit their heads on something on the trip to the floor. I waited for the scream, but none ever came. Instead, Ami was the first to find her voice. "Luna?"

Okay, so if they weren't going to faint, I sure was! My first thought was perhaps I should play dumb, you know - act like they were the only ones hearing my cat talk. Or better yet, it's the talking cats from the United States! Everyone has one, don't you?

"It's been a long time, Luna," Artemis said, smiling. I think. Can cats smile? Anyways, there went the idea about them being the only ones hearing cat talk. Perhaps they already copyrighted the talking cats in Japan? Artemis interrupted my thoughts as he cleared his throat. "You are correct, as always Luna. These four girls are Sailor Senshi, and that would make Usagi.."

"Sailor Moon," Luna boasted proudly, her tail swishing back and forth behind her. As soon as the words left her mouth, all eyes turned towards me. I really wish that Luna would at least warn me before she pulled stunts like this. You know, 'Hey, can I ask your friends if they have been running around saving the world from an ancient force from a thousand years ago?' Or at least give me a hint to what she is up to. Instead I now stood here, in front of six pairs of eyes, waiting for my say in this whole thing.

"Eh, yeah, that would be me," I stated lamely.

"Why didn't you say something last night, Luna?" Ami asked, again seemingly the only one who could talk at the moment.

"It's hard to explain," my feline guardian began, once more sitting. "We had been looking for the sailor Senshi, but I wasn't sure what form you had taken as humans in this time. I wanted to know who you were as people before I began letting you know who Sailor Moon is. Forgive me, Senshi, for not trusting you. But after what I have seen in my life, I feel that trust is not something I can go around easily giving. Especially when I am guardian of the reincarnated Princess."

"I thought they didn't know I was the Princess...?" I asked absentmindedly, almost following all of what was going on around me until that statement.

"Of course we knew," Artemis answered immediately. "The outer Senshi have not been with our group long, and seem to be a little distance. They don't like cooperating with us, and tend to go their own way. Because of that, we never sat down to share information. That is how we knew that Sailor Moon was, in fact, the Princess but didn't say anything last night."

"They know that, too," I countered. "Sailor Saturn told me last night that she knew, which means the others would also, ne?"

"Hmmm..." Minako mumbled, sitting down in the chair. "So now that we have you, Princess, we can finally defeat this enemy?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes and no," Luna replied. "Usagi knows about her past, but until last night, she had never used the power passed on to her as a Sailor Senshi. Until she learns to control that power, fighting the enemy behind all of this isn't something I think we should tackle at the moment. She could die."

Those words hit me square in the chest. Dying was something I had thought about a lot recently, but the idea didn't sit well with me. Of course, dying in general was a part of life, but then again, I didn't feel like dying any time soon. Especially when I have to think about Shingo. I felt a shiver run down my spine. Every time I went out to fight to save the world, I ran the chance of leaving Shingo without anyone.

"Then the best thing to do is to keep fighting these puny little youmas they are sending out until Usagi is strong enough," Rei advised.

"However, the enemy is gaining power, we saw that last night. That youma was smarter than the rest. Most of them was lacking in the common sense department," Makoto said, her eyes narrowed. "The outer Senshi seem to have powers slightly stronger than ours, so we haven't had any real problems defeating them - yet."

Everyone sat or stood on opposite sides of my small kitchen, clearly thinking of what was to come. The future that held such promise when I was young was no longer promising me a long life in which to fulfill my childhood dreams. Somewhere in the past month I had to abandon that childhood and head straight into adulthood - straight into the arms of destiny. Now I could sit back for the ride, or fight it every step of the way. It wasn't a hard decision. "Well, I don't plan on letting any evil force destroy this world like it did on the Moon Kingdom. I'm sure that together, we can defeat this."

"Right!" Minako agreed, throwing her fist up in the air and grinning. "We are the Sailor Senshi, nothing can defeat us!" Those were words I hoped were true.

Pressing the ends of my thumbs together, I looked sheepishly at my guardians. "By the way, I'm sorry about how I ran out on you guys yesterday. But after what happened to my parents, I was afraid of being friends with anyone. Afraid they would be attacked by this enemy that is after me."

Makoto put her arm around my shoulder and smiled brightly. "Don't worry about it." It amazed me how sincere they were. And that they were that way long before they knew I was the Princess. It felt so good to have friends.

My wonderful moment of happiness wasn't to last long, however. It wasn't moments after that that I heard a scream from the back bedroom. I glanced around, noticing that Shingo had never came back in the room after going out nearly thirty minutes earlier. Quickly I ran towards Shingo's room, everyone else behind me. I threw the door open and looked around for some giant creature. Instead I seen Shingo laying on his bed, his face contorted by the nightmare he was having. Breathing a sigh of relief, I went over to his bed and shook him gently.

Slowly he woke up, his face dripping sweat. He looked around wide eyed for a moment before cuddling up in my arms. Without a word, he went back to sleep. My pounding heart gradually came to an even pace when he began snoring softly again. Looking up at the doorway, I saw Makoto standing there, smiling; Ami, Rei and Minako already going back down the hall towards the living room.

In the back of my mind, perhaps a sixth sense, told me this would be the first of many nightmares. But with so many other things on my mind, I ignored it and went back into the living room.

* * *

It was well up into the evening before the girls left. Having moved and decorated as much as they could, each bid me goodbye as they departed. Now I stood alone in the living room looking around. Makoto had not only brought enough food to fill my refrigerator, but she had also brought house plants that were sitting in different corners of the living room. Minako had brought Shingo some toys, as well as some rabbit figures that were placed on the coffee table in the living room. The walls that were bare when I came in were now covered in wall scrolls and beautiful curtains hung from the windows in every room. Ami brought books - which everyone groaned and laughed when she handed them to me - and a small radio that had a tape deck.

I couldn't help but smile as I looked around my small apartment. Having taken Luna's advice, I covered the chairs and couch with quilts which did give it a more at home feel. Minako had taken Shingo out after his nap and they picked fresh flowers that I had sitting in a vase I had brought from home on the kitchen table. All in all, it was beginning to look more like a home, rather than an escape. Until they had shown up, it was as if this was a hide away; somewhere to run when you had nowhere else to go, nowhere to escape to.

Taking a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate, I went out on the balcony and sat in a chair. The clouds from earlier in the day had tapered off, revealing the stars hanging beautifully in the sky. The air spelled crisp, like the rain had cleaned the city. I wished the wind and rain had swept away the evil that lurked just under the surface, but that wish was not to be granted. That would be up to us. I sipped my drink and leaned back when suddenly a movement caught my eye. On the building across from me, a man was running, jumping from roof top to roof top. A cape blew in the wind behind him, and immediately I recognized him as Tuxedo Kamen. At the same moment, my door bell rang.

When I opened the door, Makoto stood on the other side, visibly out of breath. "There is a youma attack," she gasped, coming in and holding one hand on the wall. "These damn things never attack during the day, it's like they know we all have school or something."

Throwing the blanket on the couch, I went into the bedroom and woke Luna up, telling her to stay with Shingo. Gently I reached down and kissed his face before going into the living room to join Makoto.

When I reached the living room, Sailor Jupiter stood looking out my balcony window uneasily. When she turned, I could immediately see that she didn't look much different than Makoto. I wondered why I didn't notice earlier. Instead of dwelling on unimportant matters, though, I reached for my crystal. "Moon Crystal Power - Make UP!" An explosion of light surrounded me for the second time, giving me the power I needed to stop another youma from destroying the city.

Sailor Jupiter and I reached the scene of the attack at the same time the outer Senshi did. Uranus nodded over towards us, but said nothing as she approached Mercury. The street looked like a hurricane had touched down from the damage done. Windows were shattered, telephone poles were lying across the street and live wires jumping across the concrete in places. One car had been over turned and the car alarm was currently going off repeatedly. Uranus stuck her arm inside the car and turned it off.

The area seemed to be deafeningly quiet after the car alarm was silenced. Like the night had somehow stopped everywhere, and we were the only living things left. A shiver ran down my spine, it was as if the calm before the storm. Mercury's computer seemed amplified in the quietness, the beeping wearing on my nerves as she continued to type and scan.

Finally she stopped, looking up at us blankly for a moment. "Ummm.." she muttered, biting her bottom lip. "I have scanned everything, but nothing seems amiss in the area. It's as if whatever came, has gone, leaving no clue behind them."

My head began aching, the throbbing seemed to intensify, causing my entire body to feel heavy. I stumbled backwards, feeling faint. Tuxedo Kamen, seemingly from nowhere, came up behind me and put his hands on my waist. "Are you okay?"

"I..." the strangest feeling over took me, and I felt an immediate need to go back to my apartment. Something was very wrong. I had no time to think, it was like my heart knew before my mind did. "Shingo..."

I don't honestly remember going back to my apartment. Somehow we were just there. Uranus quietly went up to the door before us and put one ear to it for a moment. Nodding her head, she tried the lock.

"It's locked," I mumbled, fumbling for the key that I didn't have with me. "We went out the balcony and I left it locked..." Panic set in and I wanted to scream. Instead my over flowing thoughts were interrupted by a faint whisper.

"Dead Scream."

The door, hinges and all, was suddenly ripped from the frame and jolted backwards into the apartment. Sailor Pluto looked slightly amused at what her small command had brought on. Uranus looked at the door and then at where she stood just to the left. "Thanks for the warning," she mumbled, rushing into the apartment.

I ran into the apartment after her, running for Shingo's room. Slamming the door open I stood in horror as I found Luna sprawled on her back near the door, moaning. Hovering above my young brother was a youma. It resembled something out of my worst nightmare. Instead of looking silly as the youma the day previous was, this one had the black empty eyes and sharp teeth. It looked angered by the interruption. Turning, it moved away from Shingo and towards us with lightening fast speed.

My reflexes weren't as sharp as everyone else's, and I found myself unable to move from the path of the thing that came towards me. Suddenly Tuxedo Kamen ran towards me, grabbed me and both of us barely stopped ourselves short of crashing into the wall. I cowered behind the dark cape Tuxedo Kamen had around me, the shock of what almost happened leaving me shaking.

"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter opened her arms to an array of electricity that stopped the youma in its tracks. It stood, immobile, screeching in pain.

"Fire Soul!" Mars screamed, red flames shooting from her fingers to join the electricity. The youma's howl deepened as it was burned alive. A sour stench filled the room as it finally turned to simmering ashes.

Mars slapped her hands together in satisfaction and glared over towards the ashes. "Serves you right."

A child's cry tore my eyes from the ashes on the floor. Shingo sat on the bed, horrified and shaking. Quickly I pushed past Tuxedo Kamen and ran to him and wrapped my arms tightly around him. "It's okay," I whispered. "It's all gone; you're okay now. I'm here."

Saturn picked Luna up, a gentle purple light bathing her. After a moment,Luna's eyes blinked open and she looked up appreciatively at Sailor Saturn. The petite Senshi placed her on the floor and smiled as she walked around for a moment to remove the stiffness. "That's incredible," Luna commented.

Saturn shrugged it off, looking a little embarrassed. "The power of healing is a little something I found I could do, among other things..."

"Like destroy the world with a single command," Uranus pointed out, causing Saturn to blush further. "It looks like the damage down town was just a diversion. Something to get us all out so that they could attack your home, Sailor Moon." Uranus gave me a knowing look, it wasn't hard to figure out she knew about my secret identity after this.

A long silence filled the room, each of us looking at each other as if trying to figure out what to do. It was obvious I couldn't stay here, this little house call told all too well that the enemy knew where I was. So where was I to go now? It wasn't long before I had too many offers.

"I think, in order to protect you, you and Shingo should come stay with me until you found a place of your own," Tuxedo Kamen said in a rough voice, directed straight at me.

I looked around the room at each Senshi, pleading with one of them to object. For a few short - though they certainly seemed too long to me - moments, I thought for sure that no one would save me. Here it is, I thought. I bit my bottom lip, ready to tell everyone how I was okay where I was when finally Jupiter spoke up. "She can come stay with me." I felt myself let out a breath of relief. "I think she and Shingo would feel more, eh, comfortable at my place."

Wooohoo! I hoped Jupiter could see how relieved I was. I could have run over and hugged her then and there. Tuxedo Kamen looked towards Jupiter with a suspicious glint in his eye, but finally shrugged. "You are probably right," he admitted. I almost felt sorry for him, for a split second he sounded as if he was disappointed. And then I remembered, of course he would be disappointed. Surely he wouldn't keep stalking me if I was at Makoto's place.

Shortly after that the man in black left us. Without so much as a goodbye, he jumped from the balcony and disappeared into the night. Mars watched him go, her eyes following him as if she knew a deep dark secret about the caped man. I gave an involuntary shiver and went to begin packing. Again.

* * *

It was rather late when we finally packed mine and Shingo's belongings and made it to Makoto's apartment. The Outer Senshi had left us not long after Tuxedo Kamen, leaving the rest of us to pack and move. Rei, Minako and Ami had spent the night at Makoto's - in order to better protect me, they said. We talked on up into the morning before deciding that we needed sleep. At Minako's insistence, they had decided to stay out of school today and help me learn my way better around town. Of course, I had to work this afternoon and was suppose to have Shingo at the school around eleven.

The sun had completely burned away any sign of the darkness by the time I woke up. Of course, it wasn't my idea to get up then, either. It was as if the fates were against me, however. At the foot of my bed, Minako wiggled and squirmed in her sleep, talking and mumbling. I sat up, my eyes burning, and crawled to the edge of the bed to wake her up. Fitfully she tossed and turned. Finally I decided to reach down and shake her awake.

Many lessons in life are learned the hard way. And it's usually those lessons that stick in our minds the longest. This one was mine: Never shake a Sailor Senshi while she is having a bad dream.

"Crescent Beam!" I could feel the heat off the yellow beam as it barely missed me and shot towards the ceiling. In the movement, Minako had woken herself up and shrieked as she realized what she was doing. The rather loud, though short, scream that escaped Minako's mouth was enough to break glass. In a matter of seconds, everyone in the apartment was standing in front of Minako, their mouths wide open.

The blushing Senshi of Love hid her hands behind her back and giggled lamely as she looked towards the ceiling. Makoto's mouth dropped even further down (if that's possible) as she saw the damage done. "Minako-chan no baka!" Rei hissed, slapping her forehead.

"Gomen!" Minako apologized sheepishly, turning even redder.

"There goes my deposit," Makoto mumbled. "How am I suppose to explain a gapping hole burned in my ceiling?"

I bit my bottom lip and tried to think of a way to fix it. But it seemed that someone else in the room was one step ahead of me. The small beeping of a now familiar computer filled my ears. I looked over to see Ami typing away on her handy dandy little... oops, too much Blue's Clues. I mean, her computer, of course.

"A little carpenter tape, paper mashe and white paint will cover that nicely, Mako-chan," Ami said softly, closing her computer together with satisfaction for being the one to come to the rescue.

"Arigato! Arigato! Arigato!" Makoto and Minako squealed at once, both wrapping their arms around the slightly surprised Ami. They jumped up and down together for a moment or so before they realized what they were doing. Makoto jumped back from Minako and shook her finger playfully in the other girl's face. "I think you should have to buy the stuff we need to replace it. Since it was you who decided to burn it in the first place."

"Gomen, Mako-chan! But I was having a weird dream and Usagi-chan woke me up. When she did, I thought someone was attacking me..." Minako explained, her hands flying around in front of her like lost birds.

"Could you talk without moving your hands?" Rei asked curiously, coming closer as if to inspect them. Gingerly she reached out and poked at Minako's hands, jumping back when Minako swatted at her.

"When do we eat?" I looked over to see Shingo sitting beside me on the bed, holding his Tuxedo Kamen plushie. "I'm hungry."

"What would you like to eat?" Makoto asked, looking like a mad women with a mission. "I can make you anything you want!"

Shingo looked curiously at me, as if to ask if this woman was for real. He then grinned at Makoto and proceeded to give her a list a mile long of all his favorite breakfast foods. Makoto, looking like she had her hands a little too full, lead him into the kitchen. Even once they were at the other end of the hall, I could hear Shingo telling her foods he liked. I laughed lightly and leaned back on my pillows. "Oh, I have to be at work after I take Shingo to school. My first day of work, I hope I don't blow it."

Minako leaned forward and winked at me. "Don't forget, Motoki is MY boyfriend."

"Ha!" Rei said, her arms crossed indignantly. "You don't have to rub our faces in it, Minako-chan. Besides," she pointed out. "It took seven months of you drooling over him for him to know you existed!"

"He knew I existed!" Minako shot back, her finger wagging in the air between her and Rei. "He just wanted to.. eh.. take it slow..."

Laughing, I left the room to go shower before I found out things I didn't want to know about my boss.

* * *

The large bell above the cathedral rang out the hour as I passed. I looked at my watch and took off in a dead run for the arcade and fruit parlor. The automatic doors were open and I hurriedly rushed past a tall man, accidentally hitting him. "Gomen!" I squeaked, turning. In front of me was a dark haired man, he looked almost amused that I had bumped into him. I smiled apologetically and went to the back of the counter, but something about his blue eyes stuck in my mind so that I didn't hear Motoki talking to me.

"Usagi-chan?" he repeated, tapping me on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I mumbled, blinking. "Gomen nasai, I'm late. I had to take my brother to school and I lost track of time."

"That's alright," Motoki answered. "As long as you don't make a habit of it." He smiled cheerfully and led me into the kitchen. "The people back here are the mastermind behind all of our cooking. If I had to do it, Kami alone knows what it would taste like. You will pick up the food here," he instructed, indicating a small window, "as well as call back orders. Mostly what I want you to be in charge of is the counter customers, for now. I'll show you more about waiting tables after you get the hang of this."

A few minutes later, Motoki left me to wait on some customers that just came in. I stood stark still behind the counter, not knowing what to do. I wanted to do a good job so that Motoki didn't feel he had made a mistake by hiring me. But what was I suppose to do now?

So there I stood, looking at everything when a deep voice yelled for a waitress. Wiping my hands on my apron to rid them of sweat, I went to take my first order.

At first I didn't realize who it was; I was so nervous. But once I looked up into those deep blue eyes - I realized it was the man I had bumped into on my way in. Smiling, I got out my order pad. "What can I get you?"

At first he didn't look at me, just continued to read the page of his book. I waited nervously for him to get around to giving his order. When he finally looked up, the blueness of his eyes made my knees feel weak. I swallowed, trying to find my voice again. Before I could ask again what he wanted a (rather adorable, if truth be known) smirk lit up his face, "Odango, are you going to dump my drink on me?"

"Uh, no.." I answered uncertainly, feeling even more nervous than I already was - if that was humanly possible.

"Well, from the way you ran into me, I thought perhaps you were just normally a klutz," he continued. He looked me up and down, as if trying to measure my character from my looks alone. Whatever he saw must have amused him because he chuckled lightly. "What is with the hair-do, Odango?"

Trying to keep my anger in check, I smiled through my gritted teeth. "What can I get you?" I repeated, almost biting my tongue to keep from letting a string of profanity run out of my mouth. This had been my mother's hair-do, I wasn't about to let some creep make me feel bad.

"Just coffee, black. Can you handle that, Odango?" he put his menu down and smiled at me. The words he was saying and the expression on his face didn't match. I heard the sarcasm, I knew he was making fun of my hair, but his eyes... the steel blue that looked like the ocean...

I picked the menu up, forcing my legs to move away from him. I nearly stomped back to the fountain. Away from his gaze it was much easier to feel insulted. I poured a cup of coffee. Setting it on a saucer, I brought it over and sat it down in front of him. "Here you go sir, can I get you anything else?" My voice wasn't nearly as strong as I had hoped it would be.

Thankfully, he shook his head and picked the cup up. I started away when I heard him spit it back out. "Hey! Odango! This coffee is old," he stated flatly, as if I had done it on purpose.

Rolling my eyes, I started back towards him. "Gomen ne," I apologized sincerely.

I took the cup from him, walked over to the counter and poured three spoons of sugar in the cup. Not even thinking about what I was doing, I took the cup back to him and sat it down.

Somewhere in the back of my mind a tiny voice was screaming I would lose my job for this. But something about this man bothered me in more ways than one. I didn't want to think about how I felt when I looked at him, it was the same queasiness that I had when I caught Tuxedo Kamen watching me after a battle. I couldn't stop myself from smiling at him. "Here you go."

He took it and looked up at me as he took a small sip - which he immediately spit out. "Ugh!" he spat, his face scrunched up in disgust. "What the hell is that?!"

"Hey Mamoru-kun!" To my horror, my boss slapped Mamoru on the back in a friendly manner and sat down on the stool next to him. "What do you think about my pretty new waitress?"

"I think she needs to be shown how to make coffee!" Mamoru answered, grabbing for a near-by glass of water and guzzling it down. "That was disgusting!"

I felt my face turn a deep red as Motoki looked up at me. I was waiting for him to ask what I done, then demand for me to leave. What had I done? There was no way I could find another job now - especially with this behind me. So I waited for my demise as Mamoru explained about the coffee.

Motoki blinked, looked at Mamoru - then me. After a few seconds of what appeared to be shock, he done something I wouldn't have predicted in a million years... he began laughing. "What's the matter, Mamoru?" he chucked, actually holding his side. "Did you finally find a girl that didn't fall head over heels for you with one look?"

My mouth parted slightly in disbelief. Mamoru looked at me, slightly embarrassed, (though I couldn't tell you why at the moment) and shook his head. "Guess not. Odango, can you try this again?"

His face was terribly red and I couldn't help giggling as I walked over to get another cup of coffee. Quickly I sighed my relief, it looked like maybe this town wasn't going to be so bad after all.

After Motoki had finally gotten over the dashing Mamoru not impressing me one iota with his so-called charms (what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him), he went over to the arcade to help a couple of kids with a game, leaving me and Mamoru alone at the counter once more. From the corner of my eye I found I kept staring at him even though I tried to keep my mind elsewhere. There was something about him, something I couldn't quite place. My heart raced in my chest every time our eyes would meet. I tried to shake the feeling, but it wouldn't go away. It was almost as if I knew him. I couldn't help wondering what he was like to all the other women, what made them like him so much. And almost as if a part of me knew, I felt a shiver go up my spine.

Out of nowhere I felt a head rush, followed by my vision blacking out as if I had stood up too quickly. Only instead of my vision coming back like I was accustomed to if this happened, it was like a movie was playing in my head, causing me to see myself as I was on the Moon. No matter how much I tried to block the image out, it kept coming again and again. Forcefully, it showed me standing outside a large structure, crying. I could see a girl pulling on my hand, urging me to go inside.

But I didn't. A man rushed up to me, kissed me quickly on the lips and tried to make me go inside. He kept saying something that I couldn't hear, all I could make out was the screaming around us. Just at that moment, the sharp blade of a knife flashed in the air behind him and his face contorted with pain. The image stopped, leaving me shaking as if a part of my soul had gone with it. The world seemed to spin unmercifully for a moment before I felt myself falling to the floor as all went black.

Voices were surrounding me, they seemed to be everywhere. Hundreds of them talking at once. I could hear them, but I couldn't speak out. I heard someone say my name, and then the voice droned into the crowd again. I couldn't see anything, only hear. I wanted to force my eyes open, but I couldn't. After struggling against the darkness for a few minutes longer, I gave in.

"Serenity..."

"What?" my voice echoed around me, vibrating off into a distance unknown.

I looked around, but saw no one. When I moved, it was in slow motion. Fleeting images of my hands stayed behind for seconds after I had moved. "Where am I?"

"Serenity..."

The voice seemed to be louder. I turned around and came face to face with a woman. The darkness covered her form so that all I could make out was a silhouette of a person with long hair. I squinted my eyes so I could see better, but couldn't make out more than I had already seen. "Who are you?"

"Princess Serenity..."

"No," I mumbled. "I'm Princess Serenity." I tried to walk closer to the person. But every time I stepped forward, she seemed to have stepped back. Though I never saw her actually move. "Who are you?" I demanded again.

"You," she answered. Her voice seemed more defined than mine. She spoke elegantly with a hint of amusement lining her soft voice. "I am you, Princess Serenity. Or have you forgotten?"

"I have not forgotten who I am," I said with disdain. I must be going crazy to think I'm standing here - wherever here is - talking to myself. "How can you be me?"

Whoever was in charge of lighting this production was doing one hell of a job. For at that moment, a large light from above shone down on the young woman in front of me. At first I was blinded, but as everything became more clear, I could see she really was me; but not as I knew me. She was more sophisticated than I. Her hair seemed to shine more, her face almost glowing. She stood taller and appeared to have authority in her movement. On her figure was a long flowing white dress that bared her milky white shoulders and well defined collar bone. Her hair was swept up in the same manner as my own, and a crescent moon shined from her forehead.

"I am the forgotten you," she said softly, looking almost hurt. "I hold all of the memories you have suppressed. The life we once knew and loved, the people we held dear, and the man we died for. They are all locked here," she explained, holding her hands over her heart. "Please set me free.."

"How do I do that?" I asked. Instead of answering, she began weeping. Her small sounds of distress stayed even after she had disappeared.

"Please, set me free..." her voice begged from a distance.

"How?" I screamed. "How do I set you free?" In an instant I felt like I was falling again. Back in the room of voices, I struggled against the light.

It invaded my being, bringing pain in my head until I finally found the strength to open my eyes.

"She's awake!" I heard Motoki say. He rushed over to me. Other people were in the room, but I couldn't make them out for the throbbing in my head. "Usagi-chan?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"What... what happened?" I asked, putting a hand to my head. "Ugh, my head hurts."

Someone laughed lightly, though it sounded more like a worried laugh if nothing else. I looked behind Motoki and seen Minako smiling at me, one hand over her mouth. "After a fall like that, I could see why your head hurts," she said, coming to sit on the side of the couch I laid on.

"What happened?" I repeated, looking at Motoki this time.

"You fainted," he explained. "One minute you were fine, the next you fell to the floor. You gave us all a little scare there," he said playfully, wagging his finger at me.

"I... don't know why that happened. I feel weak... and hungry, though. I'm sorry, how horrible I am on my first day of work."

Motoki laughed lightly, shaking his head. He said something to Minako about getting me something to eat - but I didn't hear him. In my head I could still hear the girl calling out my name. I tried to block it out, but couldn't. It was a pitiful sound, like a child lost from it's mother. I shut my eyes again, but just as suddenly as it had all happened - she was gone.

"How did I get in here?" I asked, sitting up on the couch. I recognized the room as a small apartment above the arcade. It was Motoki's sister's place that she stayed at while home from college. The room threatened to spin as I sat up, but I found I finally had the strength to push it aside.

"Mamoru carried you up here. After you passed out, he jumped over the counter and called for me. I don't think I've ever seen him move that fast in the twelve years I've known him," Motoki said wondrously. "What did you put in his coffee?"

I smiled at him, rolling my eyes and placing one hand on my throbbing head. "If three spoons full of sugar in old coffee make men move faster, remind me to put a copyright on it."

"I think you'd have to improve the taste, first," another, deeper, voice said. I looked up at the door and seen Mamoru coming through it, a tray of food in his hands. He came before me and bowed. "Your lunch is served."

I took the plate with the burger and fries on it from the tray and smiled at the goofy grin on his face. It was odd. The man before me wouldn't pass for the same one who made fun of me downstairs not too long before. But his eyes... they were the same as... But the same as who's? Frustrated with my memories, or lack thereof, I picked up a fry and shoved it in my mouth. "I'm not really this hungry," I confessed. The fry in my mouth tasted like rubber, and I don't think it was because of a bad cook, either. For some reason the thought of food didn't seem appealing to me at the moment. And that in and of itself was odd, since I usually ate food like there was no tomorrow.

"You need to eat something," Mamoru said firmly, like a doctor. "That is probably what caused you to faint. Not eating something for a long period of time to a person with your body weight can cause some unwanted consequences. Especially if you have been overly tired."

I thought about the shocks, heartaches, and power drain that had happened to me over the last few weeks and decided that he could be right. I have been going non-stop without thinking; trying to care for Shingo as well as be a Princess. I had moved to the other side of the world, had my entire life thrown about like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle - and me rushing around trying to fit them together. More than likely my body was completely exhausted, and yet I had still been pushing it harder.

Motoki went to check on the arcade, leaving me and Mamoru alone. The tall, dark haired man sat across from me in a recliner and watched me force food into my mouth. I felt like a child being forced to eat their vegetables before leaving the table. Mamoru watched me take a bite, chew and swallow for more than five minutes. Finally, I could take the silence no more. "Eh, thank you for bringing me up here..." I said softly.

Mamoru nodded his head and drummed the ends of his fingers together. "How long have you been in Japan?"

"Three days," I answered numbly, looking at the food left on my plate and wondering if I had it in me to eat another bite. My stomach felt as if it would reject it any second now.

He sat back in the chair, still watching me with those ocean blue eyes. I felt a shiver run up my spine at his gaze. I knew that in my short seventeen years I had never seen such a handsome man. I felt attracted to him, but not in a way that I normally did with any of my past boyfriends. I almost could say I knew him, but how? Why did he seem so familiar? The answer taunted me. For a split second I could remember who he was and then just as quickly it was gone. I could never remember what it was I remembered. If that made any sense. It was a strange feeling - and I was beginning to wonder if I was loosing my mind.

Suddenly Mamoru stood and came over to me, taking the plate from my hand. "Did you want anymore?" I shook my head no and he placed the plate on the table beside me. "You should probably lay down and rest some," he suggested softly.

"But it's my first day of work," I protested, rising off the couch.

Mamoru put his hands firmly on my shoulders and sat me back down. "Don't worry about that. If you don't rest now, you won't be able to work the rest of the day." Hesitantly I nodded and laid back down. Mamoru winked at me as he left the room and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Slowly I blinked my eyes open and looked around. The sun was gently easing behind the mountains. For a moment I didn't know where I was and then I saw Mamoru. He was sitting in the recliner across from me, his eyes closed, sleeping. As I remembered everything that had happened, I realized what time it was. Shingo would have gotten out of school hours ago! I sat up quickly, the room went black for a split moment and then slowly my eyes readjusted. Mamoru blinked his eyes open, startled awake by my movement. He rubbed his hands over his face and smiled at me. "Feeling better?"

"Shingo!" I gasped. "I should have picked him up hours ago!"

Mamoru shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Makoto picked him up after school and he's downstairs playing games." His words didn't make me feel much better. I should have been there, what was I thinking? Sleeping for so long.. and I should have gotten up to work. Mamoru must have sensed what was going through my mind. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Motoki is a very understanding person."

"That's no excuse," I replied, mad at myself. The clock on the wall read 6:37 and I leaned back. The day was almost over, and I had slept it away. I looked over at Mamoru who was still staring at me. "What are you still doing here, anyways?" I said it a little roughly, though I didn't mean to.

Mamoru stood up, stretching as he did so. He walked over to me and sat down, leaning forward to look at me. "Usa," he began. "I told you, I won't let anything happen to you."

Those words. Those eyes - so blue and intense. Now I remembered who he was. It all came crashing into my memory like a tidal wave. I gasped and looked over at him. "You..." I breathed. "You are him.."

"Yes," he said, urging me to continue.

"You are Tuxedo Kamen."

The words hung between us for a moment before Mamoru leaned back, looking vaguely disappointed. Finally he nodded his head. "Yes. That I am." Suddenly he stood up and went to the door. As he opened it, Rei and Ami came in and looked between us. Mamoru nodded at them and went out the door. "Ja," he mumbled, barely audible. I looked at Rei and Ami.

What had just happened?

 **-End Chapter 3.**

First things first, I have forgotten to put disclaimers in the previous chapters. So incase you were mistaken, I do not own Sailor Moon, it's characters, etc. I'm borrowing them and would appreciate no law suites as I have three kids to raise. ^^;

Second, aren't you glad I had today off and didn't do anything I was supposed to so I could work on this? There is a really big chance there will not be another chapter up tomorrow since it's my oldest child's birthday, so I thought I would finish this up tonight.

Thank you to all who follow and review. Thank you for reading! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Let me know your thoughts, if you get a chance.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July! God Bless.

Beth


	4. One Dance too Many

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter Four - One dance too many**

Rei sat down in the chair recently vacated by Mamoru. I stared blankly at the door, a deep feeling of wrong doing in my heart. There was something else, something Mamoru wanted me to remember. But I couldn't grasp it. Feeling horrible, I looked at Rei.

"What was that about?" she asked.

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalantly, and looked at my hands. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Mamoru-san was here all day, in that chair, watching you," Ami said, also sitting down. "He said he wanted to make sure you were alright..."

Rei smiled wickedly and leaned towards me. "Sounds like someone is in love..." she drawled out, winking at me. "How did you capture Mamoru's heart so quickly? No one else has ever been able to."

"Me?" I asked, blinking. "I didn't do anything but give him old coffee, put sugar in the old coffee and give it back to him, and then faint."

Rei's face dropped as she looked at Ami, who was typing madly on her computer. "Eh.. Ami-chan, are you taking notes?"

The petite Senshi of Ice blushed furiously and shook her head. "No, I'm scanning Usagi to be sure she is alright. Fainting like she did earlier might be more than just exhaustion."

Worriedly I chewed on my bottom lip. Ami worked for a few moments longer and then shut her computer, not looking any better for it. "Everything seems okay now," she said slowly, still looking perplexed.

I stood up in a very unsure fashion, wondering if I would fall flat on my face. Luckily, I didn't. Even though I felt stiff, I didn't have the feeling of tiredness in my bones as I had recently felt. It was as if I were a whole new person. Smiling, I went downstairs to apologize to Motoki and to find Shingo.

The arcade downstairs was packed. Teenagers, adults and children ran everywhere. Some playing games, others eating or just talking. The lights outside made it seem like a whole other world existed inside. A small piece of the hustle and bustle of everyday life was captured inside the large arcade.

It took me a moment to find Motoki, but finally I spotted him towards the Sailor V game.

"Look who's decided to join the world of the living!" Motoki exclaimed as I tapped him on the shoulder. He laughed and turned to fully face me. Minako sat at the Sailor V game, her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth in concentration. "Are you feeling any better now?"

"Un," I answered, unable to stop the smile on my face. "I'm so sorry about everything.." I didn't finish my sentence before Motoki shook both his hands and hushed me.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to work you extra hard to make up for it," he said, winking. Quickly he bent down to plant a kiss on Minako's cheek. "Be back in a sec."

Minako nodded her head yes, never taking her eyes from the screen. Makoto walked up behind the Senshi of Love as her game ended abruptly. "Damn," Minako mumbled, hitting her fist on the machine. "And I was further than I had ever gotten."

"Don't worry Minako-chan, you can't play that game every day and not win it eventually," Makoto laughed. Minako turned and glared at the tall woman, but Makoto ignored her and looked at me. "Usagi-chan, our cooking class is throwing a masquerade ball tomorrow night to raise funds for the competition we want to go to in the fall. Do you want to go?"

I looked around, almost looking for an excuse lying around. I didn't really want to go. But I felt bad telling her no when she was nice enough to let Shingo and I live with her. My eyes must have expressed my thoughts for me, though. Makoto made a puppy dog face. "Onegai?" she asked sweetly.

I sighed, but then my excuse ran up to me. Shingo held his arms up for me to pick him up. "You are getting a little big for this," I said to him softly, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him. Smiling, he laid his head on my shoulder. "I don't have anyone to watch Shingo."

"I'll watch him!" Minako immediately replied, jumping up from her seat.

"You need to go out. We go every year, so Rei-chan and Ami-chan will help me. You won't be a problem for us, will you Shingo-chan?" Minako asked the child in my arms, who, to my horror, nodded his head no.

"Please Usagi-chan?" Makoto added. There was a conspiracy here, and I knew it. Between looking at the two of them, I almost gave up.

"I don't have anything to wear," I pointed out. There! Come up with a solution now!

"Don't worry!" Minako exclaimed. "We are the same size; you can wear one of my dresses!"

That excuse just went down the drain doing ninety. Seeing my defeat, I nodded my head. Sometimes I hated my inability to just say no. With an inward groan I headed back to the counter to finish up my shift.

* * *

Over the rim of the punch glass in my hand, I looked around the room. It was extremely crowded, which made it a little warmer than I would have liked. Downing the remains of the drink, I set the glass next to the others I had drank. Surely I was going to float away if this kept up.

I felt slightly uncomfortable in Minako's dress. Though even I had to admit it was beautiful. The creamy white material hugged my figure down to my waist where it flowed out in delicate waves to my feet. Every time I moved, the dress rustled around me. The top fit snuggly against my stomach and chest that ended in loose straps that fell off my shoulders. My hair was down with only the sides held back with small butter clips Makoto had lent me. The effect was cascades of golden curls that flowed down my back.

Long ago I had discarded the mask I was handed as I came in. Though it added to the mystery of the ball, I had grown tired of the straps against the side of my face. A handful of men had asked me to dance, but I had declined time and time again. No one held any interest for me. No one that was here, anyway.

I didn't feel like dancing, truth be known I didn't even want to be here. Makoto had found me once in a while, asking if I was enjoying myself. Of course I answered yes and smiled. Only I knew how bad I wanted to be home enjoying a good book.

I called home twice already, and the evening was only two hours old. Minako assured me that Shingo was fine, and made sure to ask if I was enjoying myself. Why did everyone have to ask that, anyways? It was as if their mission in life was to see that I had a good time tonight. Perhaps they knew something I didn't. Then again, I've probably been standing here too long thinking about it.

After I decided that I was over thinking everyone's motives, I headed for the refreshment table again. If I was going to float out the door any second now - surely another drink wouldn't hurt a thing. I reached my hand out for my third glass of punch - or was it my fourth? Anyways, I reached for another glass of punch when another hand grabbed it up.

Another hand? I thought. Now that didn't make sense. I only had two hands, and neither of my hands had the glass. I looked again. Nope, I wasn't holding it. So who was? That thought seemed to take a little longer to process than it normally should have. I pondered my lack of coherent thoughts for a moment before remembering my drink.

Accusingly I stared at the interfering hand until suddenly I realized that it was attached to an arm. And upon further inspection, it was also attached to a body! It was obvious I was reaching for that glass, surely someone was not paying attention. I looked up to see a man. He seemed to be ten feet tall from my angle. Looking up at him made the blood rush to my head and the overly warm room suddenly took a turn towards sweltering hot.

"You okay, Usa?" a deep voice asked. It didn't seem to be coming from the person in front of me. But more like all around me. Oh no, I'm going to faint again. I could see it coming a mile away. But I guess the thought must have taken a wrong turn and got lost, because I didn't faint. Though I did stagger forwards.

The hand, arm and body in front of me, that seemed to be the origin of the voice as well, grabbed a hold of me. "Come on Usa, I think you had a little too much to drink." Gently he held me up and wrapped one arm around me to guide me forwards. The floor seemed to grow, rushing up at my face and causing my vision to blur. Then the room seemed to be shrinking. Silently I wished it would make up its mind.

A few moments, staggering and nervous laughs from the ten foot tall man holding me up later - I found myself outside. The night air had a chill to it and immediately I burrowed into the warms fold of the man's jacket. He stood stark still for a long moment. It was like wrapping my arms around a nice big, warm...statue. But don't think that fault discouraged me any. I didn't care if he ever moved, so long as I got rid of the chill bumps on my bare arms and back.

After a couple of minutes, his arms came around me and I leaned my head against his chest. The gentle thump of his heart filled my mind and eased the aching that was beginning there. The world around us could have blown up or burned to the ground, and I would have never known the difference. As long as I was standing where I stood now - everything felt right in the world.

Why did these arms seem so familiar? Why did the way his breath move my bangs seem so right? I could have blocked the rest of my life out if I could stay in the position I found myself in now.

"Usa.." he breathed. Strange how beautiful that name sounded from his lips.

The way his deep voice vibrated through his chest felt so wonderful against my face. I looked up at the man holding me. We seem to fit perfectly together, like our bodies were molded to be able to hold each other. He wore a mask, but even in my slightly drunk state - I knew who it was. Two different men trapped in one body. But there was something else about the way he gazed at me through that domino mask. Something more familiar than Mamoru and Tuxedo Kamen.

Something... that stayed slightly beyond my grasping finger tips.

His intense blue eyes stared into mine and achingly slow his face began to move towards me. In the back of my mind I knew what was about to happen. My heart seemed to speed up, anticipating the feel of his lips on mine. Small jolts of what felt like electricity ran from the tips of my toes to my eager lips. As his lips neared mine, my eyes fluttered close - wanting to saver this moment forever in my mind.

"Set me free..."

It was subtle. So faint that at first I thought it nothing more than a memory. But then the voice rose as it repeated over and over. "Set me free..." the pitiful words echoed in my mind. "..the man we died for...the life we loved..." I tried to block it out, but just as Mamoru's lips were mere centimeters from my own - I pulled back.

A small sound of disappointment left Mamoru's mouth. I wanted to scream at myself for what I had just done. But what... what if there was someone else?

What if I was meant to be with another man that was also reborn, waiting for only me? I couldn't get myself involved with Mamoru now and risk hurting not only him, but another man, in the long run. It wasn't fair to either them, or myself.

"G-Gomen," I squeaked, embarrassed.

Mamoru stepped back from me and ran his long fingers through his hair. "No, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I don't know what came over me."

I chewed on my bottom lip as I watched Mamoru try to collect himself. Was I pushing happiness away with both hands? Or was I being realistic? The answer seemed as close - yet as far away - as the vision of the girl in my dreams. I wanted so badly to enjoy the moment at hand. But too many 'what ifs' clouded my mind to truly put my heart into anything.

I looked inside the glass doors at the people dancing around the room. I want to enjoy myself tonight, I thought. Everyone was right, I needed to try and relax. And pushing the sad voice of the girl as far back into my mind as I could, I grasped Mamoru's hand. "Dance with me," I said quietly, looking dead into his blue eyes.

He seemed startled by my request. A moment ago I could have been kissing him, and then I pulled away. And yet now, I was asking him to dance. I'm not sure what was going through his mind, but I'm almost positive it was bordering on pure confusion. Finally a somewhat boyish grin broke out on his face and he bowed as he had earlier at the arcade. "May I have the honor of this dance, milady?"

I laughed at the picture he made. It seemed to be out of an old movie that I had watched hundreds of times. The moonlight beamed down on us giving the air a romantic quality. And here I stood in front of the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on, bowing to ask for a dance. Smiling from ear to ear, I placed my hand in his out stretched one and he lead me inside.

He held me close to his body, delicately but firmly. I felt like a diamond that was to be cherished for him alone as we glided across the floor. We circled the large ball room numerous times as we kept in beat with the music. Dance after dance, song after song. I lost all track of time in his arms. He smiled when his eyes meet mine and whispered, "I've wanted to hold you like this for so long." I felt my heart pound as I pressed myself closer to him.

The crowd thinned out as the evening wore on, but I didn't take much notice. A deep feeling of peace covered me like a blanket. I felt warm and protected in his arms. I closed my eyes and leaned against his strong chest, allowing him to guide me. The music invaded my mind, blocking out every other thought but of him. There was only one word that could describe this - perfect.

Many songs past, though I wasn't keeping count. We moved together for an eternity it seemed. Years seemed to be mere seconds, and I found myself falling. Falling back into time, another time. Another life. I was dancing like this, never feeling time as it moved by. I was in the arms of my prince again, safe and secure in the world in which I would someday rule.

People were conversing around us, but it seemed like part of the music. The magic of the evening was blending together. Words spilled out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying;

"I wish we could stay like this, Endymion... forever..."

"What did you say?" The world around me suddenly came crashing down. I was brought back to reality quickly, blinking back the dream world in my mind. Trying to clear the voices in my mind and focus on Mamoru, I began to feel dizzy.

"Usa," Mamoru said, his voice firmer this time. He placed his hand under my chin and brought my face to look at him. "What did you say?" he repeated.

"I.." What did I say? Whose name was on my lips? The memory, as close as it had been seconds ago - was gone again. Tears of frustration welled up in my eyes as I stared at Mamoru. "I.. I don't know." Part of my mind was nothing but a mist, a dense fog that prevented me from seeing everything as a whole. Small images appeared before me, just to disappear again.

Mamoru dropped his hands from my waist. The lack of strength hit me hard, causing me to step forward to regain my balance. I looked up at him, almost pleading with him to help me, to clear away the spider webs and holes in my memory. His fingers lingered on my cheek for a minute, as warm as if the sun was touching me.

When I meet his blue eyes again they were full of disappointment. Sighing, I stepped back. "I'm sorry Mamoru-san." He seemed to flinch at my words. "I.. I won't let this happen again." Quickly I ran from the room, from the memories - but mostly from the deep sadness that called Mamoru's eyes its home.

Why did I feel so responsible for putting it there?

When finally I was at home again, I fell onto my bed, searching my mind for answers. There was an aching in my heart, a yearning to be in Mamoru's arms again. I wanted to smile at the memory, and cry at the same time. My heart sped up as I remembered his deep blue eyes staring so intently into my own. I felt like I was now missing more than I was before tonight. Instead of memories being gone, my heart and soul seemed to still be with Mamoru. Tears filled my eyes, leaving salty trails of sorrow evident on my face.

In the back of my deep thoughts, I heard someone knocking softly on my door. So lost in my self pity, I ignored it. After a few moments, the door creaked slowly open and Makoto slid through the opening. With great pains, she shut the door as quietly as she had opened it. "Usagi-chan?"

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and sat up. The dress that I still wore rustled around me when I moved. Instead of answering, I stared out my windows at the full moon that had seen it all tonight. Silent and beautiful in the night sky, it saw and knew all. I wish I did.

Makoto came over and sat next to me, wrapping one arm around my shoulder and sighing deeply. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan? What can I do?"

I leaned into her sisterly embrace and allowed a few more tears to escape my red, swollen eyes. "Mako-chan, do you remember… before?"

The unspoken words were as good as said aloud. Instantly she knew what I meant without asking. The tall Senshi nodded her head, also staring at the moon. "I remember some, but not all. Some faces are still fuzzy, some things nothing but fleeting images. I know that when I was four my mother and father sent me to begin Senshi training. The first born of all the planets were those who would be guardians for the Moon Princess. I can remember my father standing proudly as he handed me my henshin wand. Sometimes the memories of our past life seem like a dream, something I imagined as I slept. And others are so clear that it was like it happened only minutes ago."

I nodded my head, sitting up once more and wiping away my tears with the back of my hand. "I know what you mean. Sometimes I can sit and remember things with such clarity and others are so hazy. I wish I could remember all."

"You will," another voice said. Luna jumped up on the side of the bed and lay down next to us. "I know you want to remember now, but you have to have patience. If you were to remember all at once, there is no telling what kind of psychological damage might accompany it. You had good times on the Moon, but there were just as many bad ones."

That was my heart's fear spoke aloud. I wanted to remember my mother, my past life - but not the heartache that came with that knowledge. With every thing that had happened in the last couple of weeks, it could be my demise to remember everything. Then again, I had my reasons for wanting to know. Especially know more about the man in my dreams. He was so hazy, but I thought I could make out dark hair and blue eyes. Then again I was sure my imagination might be intervening some. Could my life ever play out as perfectly for my Prince from long ago and the man I was longing for now to be one and the same?

Ami and Rei pushed open my bedroom door after a short knock. The priestess looked rather upset about something as she pushed her hair back. "Eh, Mako-chan, I hate to be the bearer of bad news..."

"Demo?" Makoto asked, turning around to face her.

"Minako is trying to cook..." The sentence wasn't finished before Makoto ran out of the room, Rei trailing behind her laughing. I smiled as I watched them go. There was never a dull moment around here, was there?

Luna walked out of the room and I stood to follow when Ami shut the door. Without saying a word, she pulled out her computer. "Usagi-chan, if you don't mind I would like to scan you again. There was something that came up in my earlier scan that I didn't quiet understand. Do you mind?"

I didn't understand exactly what Ami meant, but I nodded my head anyways. The genius senshi began concentrating on her computer and for the longest time didn't say a word or change facial expression. I began to grow worried as the minutes ticked by. But since I didn't want to interrupt whatever it was she was doing, I kept my mouth shut. Finally, what seemed an eternity later, she stopped and shut her computer. Shaking her head, she rubbed her hands over her face.

"What?" I anxiously asked.

Ami shifted her weight from one foot to the next and scratched her head. "I'm not sure, something else is showing up on my screen and I can't figure out what it is." She looked up, and must have seen the worry on my face. All the tension broke from her face and she smiled. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Perhaps it's just a flaw in the computer." Almost every ounce of apprehension gone, she opened the door. "Come on, let's go see what Minako is destroying."

Hesitantly I remained behind, wondering what could have Ami so upset. And even more, why she wouldn't tell me. Instead of dwelling on it, however, I changed out of the dress and into some pajamas. From the laughs and groans coming from the kitchen I imagined Minako was causing quite a ruckus that I most definitely didn't want to miss.

* * *

That night my deep sleep was ended abruptly. I suddenly had fleeting thoughts about knowing how YooHoo© felt as they were being shaken. Sleep pulled hard to keep me under its wing, but the person trying to wake me seemed to be determined.

"Usagi... c'mon, you got to wake up!" Rei practically screamed.

I rose up, hitting my head on Rei's as I did so. Of course, after I had pushed aside the urge to burrow back into the covers, I realized that it wasn't Rei who had woken me, but Sailor Mars. And it most definitely wasn't day break.

"What's going on?" I asked, rubbing my burning eyes and trying to focus them. Mars looked relived to have finally got my attention.

"There is a youma attack, we got to go," she said urgently. "The outer senshi and Tuxedo Kamen are already there."

Without so much as a glancing thought towards my warm bed again - okay, so deep in my mind I was cursing the enemy - I jumped up. The clock beside my bed flashed ten minutes after one. I hadn't even been asleep long enough to say I was. Oooh, whatever just had to attack in the middle of the night was going to get it good!

"Moon Crystal Power - Make UP!"

When the now familiar lights went down and left me standing in my fuku, Mars headed out the door. With one last yawn, I rushed out the door behind her and into the chilly night.

The city streets were abandoned, save for an occasional car that passed. The moon that had brightly lit up the sky earlier was now covered by clouds that also blocked out the stars. A chill ran up my shine, sending shivers down my arms and legs as we ran through the empty city streets. Mars looked back occasionally, and seeing I was still behind her, she continued on towards the main square.

We turned a corner and I felt a scream rise in my throat. Lying on the ground was Sailor Saturn, Neptune hovering over her. Venus, Jupiter and Mercury looked like they had been slammed into a near by brick building and were trying to stand up. In the center of the street stood a large creature that somewhat resembled the large clock that usually sat in front of the pharmacy. Though now it had arms, legs and a head full of blazing white hair. As we approached, Pluto raised her staff and whispered her attack.

The words no more left her mouth than the youma put its hands on the clock on it's stomach, stopping time. Pluto's attack hovered in mid air before the creature blew at it, causing it to go screaming towards Pluto. Before my horrified eyes, it hit Pluto dead on. She was slammed back into a telephone booth, shattering the glass around her.

"Oh my God," I whispered. "How do we stop something that can stop our attacks before it reaches them?"

Mars bit her lip, studying the youma before us. In the few fights I had oined in, I had never seen her so uncertain of the outcome. And that frightened me to the very bone. Something deep inside me began stirring, calling out to me.

I was their princess, wasn't I? I was whom they were depending on. I had to do something. Determined, I raced towards the youma, Mars screaming behind me to stop.

Something pushed me forwards, adrenaline pumped through my veins as I lunged towards the creature. Just as it had done previously, the hands on it's stomach stopped and I found myself hanging in thin air. Within a mere second, it shoved me back, flying towards a building. I didn't even have time to scream, I just flinched, waiting for the impact.

Still I waited, but the pain never came, just the loud sound of shattering glass as something flew through a window pane. It didn't occur to me for a couple of seconds to open my eyes. For a moment it seemed I was back in Mamoru's arms.

More than likely I had passed out, and hadn't realized it yet. When I had the courage to open my eyes to see what damage was done, I was far from slammed into a nearby building. I was, however, on someone. Once more, I looked up to see my savior - and to my relief, it was Tuxedo Kamen. We had landed inside a building, him taking the blunt of the impact. I found myself safely tucked against his chest. I moved over off his body, the crunching sound of glass under me and leaned over enough to see his face. "Tuxedo Kamen," I whispered. "Are you okay?"

Instead of answering, he tried to sit up. His face contorted in pain and he laid back down. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Blood dripped from his lip. If he died, to save me, I would never be able to live with myself. One tear slid down my face as I pushed a lock of midnight black hair away from his face. "Mamoru, please be alright. Please!" I begged.

I had never known pain this deep. It ate away at my heart, tearing my insides away. The sight of him gasping for breath made me want to scream. Why had he done that? To save me? I wasn't worth it, I knew I wasn't. More and more tears gathered in my eyes, and I done nothing to stop them from flowing down my face. I reached my hand behind his back to help him sit up and gasped. My hand came in contact with a thick liquid and when I yanked it back, blood dripped off my glove. His blood. Oh dear God, what do I do? I couldn't think straight, I just wanted to go back and change this. Stop him, or myself, whatever it took to not be sitting here now.

Behind me I could hear shouts of attacks, but I couldn't move. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the blood on my hand. "Mamoru!" I cried, clutching my hands to his jacket. "Please be alright... please..."

Mamoru slowly opened his eyes, the pain in his back making him flinch as he moved. His hand came up and touched my cheek, and I tried to smile. He would be alright if he could move. He had to be. This wasn't happening now, not after all that had transpired tonight. It couldn't be. A small smile came to his lips as he brushed away a tear on my face. "You do care..." he whispered and then his head dropped back into the shattered glass.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I felt a scream rise once more to my throat and I let it out. A voice full of terror that seemed to not be my own echoed through out the building. I fell onto his chest. The scream ended, only to be replaced by gasps as I sobbed.

I don't know how much time passed as I laid there on Mamoru's seemingly lifeless body and sobbed. It could have been an eternity, or only ten minutes. There was nothing but the never-ending pain in my heart. I should have kissed him tonight, I wanted to. I could have made him happy in the few hours before this. But I didn't. "You're not dead, Mamoru. You're not," I whispered, over and over in a pitiful cry. "You can't be... you just can't. You aren't dead," I mumbled. "Because.. I-I love you.. and I never got to-"

The sentence never finished. A brilliant light began glowing around us, blinding my swollen eyes. In amazement I sat up, still clutching the lapels of Mamoru's tuxedo. Everywhere I looked it was nothing but light, the only thing I could make out was Mamoru's body beneath me. "What...?!"

The light grew brighter still, forcing me to close my eyes against it's glow. The ground beneath us disappeared and faintly I heard what sounded like a scream of death. But it was far away, a distant echo of pain and agony. Looking around, I felt my grasp on what little fear I felt fade away. Peaceful. It was so peaceful here, so serene. There was no pain, no heartache, nothing but blissfulness.

But the peace frightened me. Was I dead? Was this the moments before my eternal fate would be decided? And why was Mamoru with me? I felt a small twinge of panic rise in my soul. If I were to die, then the other senshi couldn't save Earth. And Shingo... alone, no family to care for him. I was sure the girls would care for him, but to loose his mother, father... and now his sister, too? That would be too much for him.

My frantic thoughts were interrupted by Mamoru stirring beneath me. The pain seemed to be lifted from him and he sat up with little effort. His blue eyes stared around at the never-ending white light and then to me. "Usa?" His voice was that of astonishment, disbelief.

"Where are we?" I asked him, feeling strangely better now that I had someone else sharing my strange experience.

"What do you mean, where are we? Aren't you doing this?"

"Doing what?" I asked in amazement, looking around. All I could see was the white blinding light. But even as I looked at Mamoru in puzzlement, he seemed to be disappearing from my grasp. I reached for him, but my hands went through his transparent form as if he wasn't really there. "Mamoru?" I called frantically. His lips moved, but no sound reached my ears. I was leaving him, though I don't know how I knew this. But I was as sure of it as I was of the moon. "Don't leave me!" I yelled to him, reaching out once more.

His body disappeared, only the haunting image of his blue eyes staying behind. I felt tears well up in my eyes. If I were dead, did that mean he wasn't? Surely there was an explanation for this. If I could just think clearly. But something tugged at my mind, something so unexplainably sweet and alluring. Peace. Serenity. An existence void of feeling. Void of hurt, pain, suffering...

And as the last of Mamoru's blue eyes disappeared, I realized something. Yes, this wonderful place would be that I could stay in forever. No pain or heartache - and yet, there would also be no love. No friendship. Nothingness. And while I may not feel loneliness, it would be lurking under the surface.

No, I couldn't stay here. Not now. Not when the longer I desperately tried to picture Mamoru's face, the clearer it became. I struggled against the invading darkness to reach for Mamoru's out stretched hand. And just as the emptiness surrounded me at last I felt it. Pulling me from the depths of eternity, Mamoru was there.

With the gentleness of his hand touching mine was a crashing pain like none I had ever known. Every hair on my body seemed to ache from my toes to my head. For a fleeting moment I wished to be back in the peaceful darkness, but that thought left when I heard Mamoru's voice in my ear. His breath tickled my ear as he reassured me I was going to be okay, just to hold on a little longer.

It was many minutes before I found the strength to open my eyes. Painfully I blinked them back, only to shut them once more to the invading bright light. Slowly this time, I reopened them and found myself lying on a bed, Mamoru hovering above me.

"Ami! She's awake!" he cried towards the door, and then turned back to me where he grasped my small hand in his two larger ones. "It's okay, Usa. You're going to be okay now."

I looked up into his ocean blue eyes and felt his feeling pouring out of them. As best I could manage, I licked my parched lips and a voice that didn't sound like my own escaped them. "I really have to stop fainting like that..."

As I closed my eyes to fall into an exhausted sleep, I heard Mamoru chuckle lightly. To my surprise, I felt his lips gently touch my forehead. "Don't worry about it Usa. Just always come back to me, ne?"

Perhaps the last sentence was nothing more than my dreams teasing me. After all, God knows I had seen and heard enough weird things in the last couple of days. But with his voice still fresh in my mind, I drifted off to sleep. It wouldn't be until much later did I realize the importance today's events would have on my life.

-End Chapter 4.

I don't own Sailor Moon. If I did I would have surely wrote more manga by now :)

If you haven't watched Sailor Moon Crystal, please go watch, it's awesome! You can watch it on and read all the manga there as well.

Thank you for reading, I hope everyone is enjoying the story. The action will start ramping up soon!

Love,  
Beth


	5. The Power of Wishes

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter Five: The Power of Wishes**

The light was bright, warm, intense... and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that it came straight from the enemy. Groaning loudly, I reached for the edge of my pillow, pulling it over my head. "Just a little longer.." I begged the sun outside my window. "For the love of all that is good, let me sleep!"

"Demo, Usagi," Rei said, failing to restrain her laughter. "You have been asleep for going on seventeen hours now. I think it may be time to get those lazy bones of yours up."

I peeked outside of my dark seclusion and glared at the black haired priestess. "Then I still need another seven hours to be fully at my best!"

"It's already seven in the evening!" Rei bellowed, standing with her hands on her hips. In an instant the warm covers were jerked off my bed and a cold chill shot up my pajama pant legs. "Ami-chan says that you need to get up and move around a bit; and eat too. Since she happens to be the smartest one of all of us, you're going to listen to her."

"Says who?" I retorted, removing my pillow long enough to stick my tongue out at Rei and grab my blanket. With every intention of going back to sleep, I burrowed deep in the quilt and closed my eyes.

"I say!" Now, I might not be fully awake, but I knew that deep baritone voice definitely didn't exit from Rei's mouth. I started to look up when I was swept off the bed and into a strong set of arms. I squealed with more joy than fright when I realized who had me, even though at my angle the floor did seem a ways down.

Summoning the angriest look I could muster, I lightly hit Mamoru on the shoulder and glared. "I want to sleep." My fake anger was not lost on him, however, as he laughed loudly. In turn this only helped to produce more anger at being awakened and suddenly rather cold instead of under the warm confinements of my quilt.

"It's no good Usa, I know you're not really mad at me," he said down to my pouting face. His laughing blue eyes were filled with more joy that I had ever seen them possess. And, of course, he was right - I wasn't really mad at him. Just the fact that he was alive and holding me this moment made me want to hug his neck.

With this revelation, every memory came crashing back to me. The last time I remembered actually seeing Mamoru, he was laying helpless on shattered glass and in a pool of his own blood. Frantically now, thinking this too may be a dream, I reached up and brushed my hand across his cheek. The small stubble of growth greeted my finger tips as I cupped his face against my palm. The small black hair lightly pricked my hand, sending waves of joy through my body. He's real! my mind screamed. And he's alive!

I felt warm tears of relief flood my eyes, threatening to spill forth and stream down my face. "But how...?" I finally whispered, looking from Mamoru to Rei. "I thought..."

Mamoru sat me down on the bed, sitting beside me to place his arms protectively around my body. It felt better than my quilt to have him hold me, his body heat protecting me from the chill in the room. I wanted to snuggle up to him, but there were too many questions on the tip of my tongue to get caught up in the moment. Questions I had to know the answer to. Instead of trying to explain the situation herself, Rei said she would go get Ami. In mere seconds they were back, followed by Minako, Luna and Artemis.

Minako explained that Makoto had taken Shingo to the store with her to keep his mind off my being asleep so long. Oh, the poor thing, I thought guiltily. He must be worried sick. I made up my mind that as soon as I found out what was going on, I would spend the rest of the evening with Shingo.

Ami waited until she had my attention before once more pulling out her small computer. Silently I wondered if she ever got an ache in her arm from using that small wrist movement so much.

It wasn't too much later than she closed the device shut with a click and smiled warmly at me. "All's well that ends well," she said smartly, sitting down heavily in a chair. "Though you gave us all a fright beyond imagination." She looked anxious, excited even, as she began to tell what had happened. "The power of the Silver Crystal which you hold may have showed it one of its most precious - and dangerous - gifts of all. The gift of life."

Completely dumbfounded, my gaze left Ami to look at Mamoru. So that was how it happened. Somehow, I saved him. My powers granted my wish for him to live, and that was how he had not one small sign that he had ever been hurt.

But on the other hand, what had happened to me when I performed this act of life? Sleeping for seventeen hours wasn't something even I could pull off without a reason. My questioning eyes fell back on Ami, who looked ready to explain, in detail, everything she knew.

For a moment Ami stared in my general direction, though I don't think she was looking at me as much as her thoughts. Finally she blinked, ready to place her explanation into words we would all understand.

"Usagi-chan, you hold a stone that can give life, end pain and evil. This stone, the Silver Crystal, appears to be controlled by your heart, not your mind. I don't believe it was a conscious thought that told the Crystal to heal Mamoru, or you would have remembered it. So, that leaves the subconscious. Your desire to heal, instead of your explicit command. When the Crystal realized that wish, it began releasing power. The shock of the purity of that power was what killed the creature we were fighting, and healed Mamoru. However, this is more dangerous than just returning a human to normal after being attacked." Ami sat back in her chair, gently pressing the tips of her fingers together in silent thought for a moment. When she looked into my eyes again, I felt the dept of her fright. "The amount of power you drew to heal Mamoru killed you. Fortunately, Mamoru seems to be able to enter the lapse that you withdraw to. The seconds between life and death, if you will. In those precious few moments, he was able to seek you out and help you find your way back to us. But you were still not out of the woods, sleeping for seventeen hours was your body's - and the Crystal's - way of restoring itself."

I couldn't remember the last time I blinked. It was all so mind-numbing, this information. I'd been dead. It wasn't almost, close to or even on the verge. I died. I felt my entire body begin to shake with the knowledge before a sob reached my throat, demanding release. "Dead?" I croaked, looking at Mamoru. His arms automatically wrapped around my body, holding me tightly. "I.. died? I was actually dead?" I questioned.

Ami's voice came to me like a doctor with bad news. She didn't want to say it, but knew she had to. "Yes, Usagi-chan, you died. I had no vital signs for almost a full thirty seconds. If it hadn't been for Mamoru..." her voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. But in my mind they were said, spoken loud and clear for the entire world to see. I had saved Mamoru's life, and in turn he had saved mine.

It took a few moments for the shock of Ami's words to wear thin. So I had died, I thought. Okay, but I'm fine now, right? So that's all that matters. I rubbed my hands over my face and looked to Luna. She looked as heart sick as I felt. The next words were on the tip of my tongue, but it took forever it seemed to say them. "Was... was that all? There was no other.." I paused, looking for the right word, "..damage done?"

Ami shook her head. "No, not damage. But there was something else - Minako-chan?"

The blonde sitting crossed legged on the floor had a tear stain on her left cheek which she wiped at in vain. Putting on her best smile, she rubbed her hands together like a mad scientist. "Being the Senshi of Love has some most wonderful advantages. Each of us have a gift that is not our powers, granted to us by our protective planets. Ami's is being a genius, Makoto's is her strength and so on. Mine is being able to see soul bonds between people. Whoever said there is a person out there for each of us, was correct. And I can detect those bonds when the mind is at its least protected."

I stared in shock at Minako, who in turn blushed and ran her fingers through her slightly tangled hair. "Let me try it this way... usually we guard our thoughts. Not on purpose, it's just something we normally do without knowing. While Mamoru was speaking to you, both your guards were down and I could see a, eh, well - a soul bond. A love line, so to speak. In other words," I could tell from the way she stood up and grinned that this was her favorite part. "You were meant for each other!"

I blinked, looked at Minako dumbfounded, turned my gaze onto Mamoru - and dashed out of the room so fast I'm sure that no one saw it coming.

My heart raced madly as I darted down the steps, sliding my hands down the railings to prevent myself from falling face forward to the bottom. It didn't matter for the moment that I was on the twelfth floor when I began my descent. All I wanted to do was get away from it all. The stories of death and reincarnation, fairy tales of soul bonds and Princesses. I felt a need to run from the lies my life had turned into. My entire body ached from the toll it had taken from my power drainage, but still I pushed my legs to descend the stairs at break neck speed.

When at last I came to the first floor, I burst out into the sun light and ran down the streets of Tokyo. My side screamed with pain that flooded my entire body, but something pushed me on. I couldn't stop. All the lies. The hours of sitting on my bed with my mother, talking about my wonderful future. Meeting the right man, falling in love - everything I dreamed of, ripped away from me in a split second. Death was a common visitor to my door, lurking just in the shadows of my life, ready to snatch everything at a moment's notice. Dreams... nothing but dim illusions of a small girl with the world at her feet. The small girl that no longer existed.

I realized, as I slowed to a painful walk and attempted to catch my breath, that those dreams shattered the moment I found my parents dead. The pretty paintings that my mother drew for me as a child were all washed away with her death. There was nothing left of that now. I had been pushing myself for weeks to do what they would have wanted, but it was with horror that I realized that perhaps what I was doing isn't what they would have wanted.

Would they have wished for their first born to be risking her life day in and day out? Fight an unseen enemy through its minions, not knowing where Shingo would go if something didn't go in my favor? Would they be proud of me for risking everything to go after the enemy, or be mad at me for putting Shingo through it?

Tears came unbidden to my eyes, but I didn't try to stop them. I yearned for my mother's warm breast to lay my head on. I wanted so badly as to unload my troubles out on a table, and sort through them with my father. Nothing ever seemed as bad when we finished. But those moments were nothing but fading memories, never to be reality again. They were gone.

I rounded a private fence and came upon the beach. The ocean cast out in front of me, giving me a sense of strength as I neared it. Slowly I walked forward, feeling the sand give under my weight and sink down. The waves crashing on the coast was memorizing as I neared them. Something from my memory sparked, a lesson from science class. The waves affecting the Moon; the waves felt as they were affecting me.

This wasn't my worst day, by far, so why did I feel so depressed? Wasn't to be with Mamoru what I had been hoping for? But, a part of me knew, I had been holding back because of the unknown man in my dreams. So hadn't I been leaning towards the unknown instead of sticking with reality anyway? I felt so confused about what I wanted and what my past life insisted I was to have. Maybe it was time to go after my own happiness and not worry about my past so much.

Gently I sat down on the white sand, the ocean a blazing blue inferno before me. Deep and rich in color with hints of sparkle where the sun gently kissed it. The sky turned pink, purple and orange hues so vivid and breathtaking that I couldn't move my eyes from it. There was something about the sun setting on the ocean that radiates such peace and calmness. Something awe inspiring in nature's ending scene of each day.

I picked up a handful of sand, letting it slide trough my fingers and take a brief flight through the air before falling to the Earth. The sands of time, like the sand gently pulled by the wind, must go on. The memories in my heart of my parents can never be taken from me, but I must move on. As the last rays of the sun gently grazed my face, I knew from the bottom of my heart my parents were proud of me. I couldn't explain it, even to myself, it was just a deep knowledge. And it calmed my fears and allowed me to breath easier. I leaned back on my hands, taking in the last seconds of light before the darkness claimed the day. There was barely enough warmth left in the sun rays to kiss my face one last second before it disappeared completely within the gentle waves of the ocean.

"Ready to go home?"

Startled, I looked up and saw the ocean colors reflected in Mamoru's eyes. He knelt down beside me, brushing my hair behind my ear and gently reached over to kiss my forehead. I didn't answer and he sat beside me, watching the night ease across our world and enclose it in darkness.

For a long moment nothing was said, but just under the surface of the silence I could feel something. A yearning to find words. I reached my hand over and grasped Mamoru's. "I'm sorry for running out like that. Sometimes I just feel if I could run away fast enough I can make sense of my life… that's no excuse. It wasn't you I am running from. It's something else. Something to do with my past life as Princess Serenity…"

Mamoru flashed me a quick smile and tightened his grip on my hand. The wind encircled us, playing with the dark strands of Mamoru's hair, causing it to move wildly for a moment. "I…" He stopped, sitting up as if to stress the importance of what he was trying to say. "Usa, I want to tell you something. Something I should have said before, I think." His deep blue eyes fixed on mine, and I felt swept away by the feelings there. If I had ever believed the eyes were the windows to the soul, I believed it now. "Usa, you know I am Tuxedo Kamen. But before that, long ago, I was a Prince."

My breath caught in my throat so I couldn't talk, just stare. Mamoru kept his eyes on me, his hand gripping mine. "I've known this since the first time I laid eyes on you. I've been dreaming of you for years. When I saw you that night, outside the Crown Arcade, I wanted to tell you everything. But I didn't know how much you remembered, I don't want to influence you. Usa, I don't want you to want me just because of our past. I want you to want me, Chiba Mamoru. I just couldn't stay away from you, no matter how much I tried… and it seemed like you were holding back, didn't want me the way I want you."

Without warning, he stood up, bringing me with him. Hand in hand, we walked towards the water and looked out into the darkness. The water lapped up to our feet, taking sand from under us as it returned out to sea. The darkness surrounded us like a blanket, the world took on an unreal quality, only lit by the quarter moon high in the sky and the soft glow behind us that was the city.

"It's strange, ne? How the sky and ocean seem to have no ending or beginning. Just blackness all the way from our feet to the sky above. Beautiful." Mamoru's voice sounded odd, monotone. His eyes flashed heavenwards for a brief moment before locking with my own gaze. "Not nearly as beautiful as you, though."

His voice was now full of sincerity and my heart quicken pace. "The other night, when you...when you saved me. It wasn't just my body you saved, Usako." I felt my face flush with the endearment, but he wouldn't allow me to speak. "A part of me wanted to end the insanity I called my life. But then I heard... I heard a faint whispering, your voice above me. I opened my eyes and blocked out everything but you. Your light, your tears for me, your angelic voice telling me of your love.." One strong arm came around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. His opposite hand sought my chin and raised my lips up nearly to his own. "Usako, I love you. I love your nerve and your bravery. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I yearned for you before I met you, but I had no idea that you would be more, much more, than I ever dreamed."

I opened my mouth to speak, but he quickly laid his finger over my lips and shook his head. "Your light, Usako, saved me. The darkness that pulled at me had almost won, but when I grasped your hand - it all disappeared. Thank you, Usako. Thank you for loving me." Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. Reaching my hand up, I pulled Mamoru's head towards my own and claimed his lips in a kiss so sweet and pure that the world seemed to tremble beneath us.

More in need of air than to get away, I gently pulled back and laid small butterfly kisses on his lips one at a time. His strong arms pulled me closer to his chest and I found my head just below his broad shoulders. It felt like a warm haven, a peaceful place reserved for me alone.

I wondered what my parents would say about Mamoru. Would they like him? Would my father approve of the man who held his little girl's heart? Somehow, as much as I knew my parents would be proud of me, I knew they would love this man.

Unbidden, a smile crept onto my face. My heart spilled over with the feelings I had, drowning me. But I had no desire to be rescued. This was where I was meant to be. Mamoru wrapped his arm around my shoulder and lead me to his car. After I got in, he ran around to the other side of the car, got in, and we sped off into the night.

* * *

The morning sun rose to find me in the bathroom, clutching the toilet as I vomited the last of what little I had ate the night before. Breathing heavily, I stood and soaked a wash cloth with cold water before pressing it to my face. My face was flushed and red as blood and my throat sore. The person in the mirror staring back at me looked horrid - swollen, blood shot eyes and wild hair.

I stumbled back into my bedroom, falling onto the bed and covering up. "Oh Kami," I whispered. "I feel horrible." My stomach still felt like it had jumping beans in it as I fell back into a deep sleep.

Not one hour later, my alarm went off. Groaning, I struggled with the covers for a minute before I managed to get out of their grip, and turned the buzzer off. Lying on my back, I stared at the ceiling. Surprisingly, my stomach felt fine, in fact, I was actually hungry. How weird is that, I thought, shrugging it off. "Get up Shingo, we have to get ready for school."

The blonde haired boy beside me groaned and turned over. "It's too early," he mumbled.

Laughing to myself, I rose and went to shower and dress. As I went out of the bedroom door, I yelled back at my brother: "You better be up when I get out of the shower!"

Of course, when I returned to the bedroom Shingo was sound asleep on the bed, snoring softly. It wasn't really a big surprise, after all, I used to do it to my mom all the time. I grinned to myself as I went over and yanked the covers off his small form. "Tsukino Shingo, you have to the count of five to get off that bed and into the shower. One. Two. Three..."

"Okay! Okay!" Shingo sprang up off the bed and, giving me the evil eye, walked past. I could hear his feet slap against the hardwood floors as he went into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

I laughed to myself, shaking my head. He absolutely couldn't be any more like me. I was never a morning person when mom would get me up for school. And now that I'm in her shoes, it serves me right to get the same treatment from Shingo. "Oh Mom, I hope you're proud of me. I hope I'm doing well by your youngest."

"Usagi-chan?"

Startled, I looked over at the door way and saw Makoto standing in it, looking rather confused. She took a step in, wringing her hands in front of her stomach. I wondered how much she heard, and it wasn't long until I found out.

"Um, ohayo* Mako-chan," I said brightly, although it may have came out a little nervously.

"Eh, Usagi-chan," Makoto started, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "I wasn't ease-dropping or anything... but, well, I came in here to say.. and I just heard..."

A deep sigh left my chest and I sat down beside her. I felt relief and a little nervous about telling the truth to Mako-chan. I didn't want to lose Shingo, but I felt bad about lying. And truth be known, I know I looked bad supposedly having a six-year old at my age anyways. "Shingo is my younger brother," I blurted out in a near whisper. "I didn't want anyone to take him from me since I'm only seventeen years old."

The truth sat in the air between us for a long moment. I wondered what Makoto would think about me telling such a lie to her and everyone else. I was ready to defend myself and my motives when I felt Makoto's arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Usagi-chan. Minna** will understand, and we won't ever let anyone take him away from you."

I smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you, Mako-chan. I'm so glad you aren't mad at me for lying to you."

"Think nothing of it," she insisted. "I can understand why you did it."

"Ewwwwie!" Shingo interrupted, when I was about to tell Makoto more about what had happened. "It's girly mushy stuff!" he exclaimed, giggling.

"Come here you," I laughed, grabbing Shingo up in a loose head lock and scrubbing my fist over his wet hair. I started to pick him up when he let out a squeal of pain that almost made me drop him to the floor. Regaining myself, I set him down and searched his pain-ridden face. "What's wrong?"

When he didn't answer me, I lifted his shirt up where I had grabbed his waist and stared in horror at what I saw. There was a large angry looking bruise on his side, just above the hip. The purple and black where deep in color and stretched at least one inch. "Oh my God, Shingo," I whispered. "What happened? How did you get this?"

"I don't know," he answered quickly, pulling his shirt down and looking away from me.

"Shingo, don't lie to me," I reprimanded, trying to pull his hand from his shirt. "This is a bad bruise, you may have cracked a rib or something. Tell me how this happened!"

Shingo's eyes grew watery when he fastened them to mine. The blue swam with salty tears that threatened to fall down his face. "I don't know, I just woke up with it yesterday. It's just there. Maybe I did it in my sleep?"

Biting my bottom lip, I looked to Makoto with questions burning in my eyes. She looked as worried as me, but pushed it aside like I couldn't. "I'm sure it's nothing big," she lied for Shingo's benefit. "He may have done it playing at school. I used to come home with bruises all the time, and never remember where I got them." She walked over and clasped her hand on Shingo's shoulder. "Shingo-chan, I made you some pancakes. They are in the kitchen, you better go eat them before they get cold."

Shingo sniffed back his tears and smiled at Makoto. "Domo arigato, Mako-chan!"

I watched him run down the hall and towards the kitchen before I turned to Makoto questionably. She picked up a bag off the floor that I hadn't noticed before and handed it to me. "This is your school uniform. If you're going to eat breakfast, you'd better hurry, we don't have much time before the first bell."

"Mako-chan.." I began, but she shook her head.

"When he's not paying attention, have Ami scan it with her computer. She should be able to tell you whether he cracked anything or not, but I'm sure it's nothing more than what it looks like." She smiled at me, all traces of worry gone from her face. It frightened me more than reassured me. "All little boys hurt themselves playing rough with friends," she told me. "Shingo is no different."

I nodded my head, but the memory of the dark purple and blue splotch on Shingo's side was fresh in my mind. And it filled me with worry that I couldn't explain.

I found, despite my fears, that basically all schools were the same; even in different countries. Everyone looked me over from head to toe in my first two classes, trying to size up my character, just as my friends and I used to do to all the new kids. The classes were slightly smaller than those in the U.S. - but otherwise it was no different. My teachers gave me my books, tried to get an idea of where I was at in my last school and gave me assignments accordingly.

After I was seen with Makoto at lunch, most of the girls that seemed a little uneasy with me stopped giving hateful glares. When I asked Makoto about this, she explained that because of her size - not to mention a couple of fights she had been in - most of the stuck up girls stayed away from her and her friends. To this I only laughed and silently was thankful I was on her good side.

Rei was the only one who didn't attend the same school. Ami, Minako and Makoto were in most of my classes. It felt a little strange not having Rei around, but Minako assured me that she was always waiting when the last bell rang. Every afternoon they gathered at her temple to do homework and then to discuss the enemy. When the last bell rang, I was deeply grateful. The day seemed to last forever and my backpack was constantly getting heavier with homework. I wasn't too far behind, but my teachers still gave me a couple of assignments to make sure.

I stood up and moved my head from side to side, waiting for the small pop that would release a bit of the tension that had gathered at my shoulders. Since it had been roughly a month since I had been to school, I had forgotten how tiring it could be just to sit at a desk for so long. My legs longed to walk around even as my eyes begged to close for a short nap. I tried to stuff my last classes' books into my backpack, but failed and ended up carrying them.

"Looks like you have your work cut out for you," Makoto remarked as she held my bag closed so I could zip it. "Don't worry though, Ami-chan will help you with anything you don't understand."

"Surprisingly, I don't think I'm that far behind. I guess I'm lucky, since I was out of school so long with everything that has happened." We walked into the hall where we met up with Minako and Ami. "And one thing's for sure, I don't think I'll have a problem passing the English class I signed up for."

Minako laughed and readjusted her books. "I don't think they should let you take the class since you spoke English more than Japanese all your life."

"Well, I'll have you know," I replied, hoisting my shoulders higher and trying to hold back my laughter to make a reasonable impersonation of our English teacher. "My knowledge of the language can be of great help to the other," here I glared at Minako down the bridge of my nose, just as Himme-Sensei had done earlier, "...lagging students in the class."

We all burst out of the school and into the warm sunlight, filled with laughter. My mind briefly skipped back to my happy laughter with my friends at my old school - and it seemed impossible that such a short time later I could feel that careless again. The only difference was that careless laughter and fun could end at a moments notice now.

Just as we rounded the corner of the school grounds, I spotted Rei leaning against a lamp post; books in arm. She smiled when she seen us and hurried up to stand beside Minako. "It's about time you decided to come out of there!" she bellowed, but her eyes betrayed her act. When we all just rolled our eyes, she grinned and fell into line.

The bus ride from the school to Rei's temple was barely ten minutes. The stone steps leading to the Shinto Priestess' home were beautiful and plentiful. By the time I reached the top step, the bag on my back seemed to have gained twenty pounds. I breathed a deep sigh of relief when I dropped it at my feet and lie back on the soft pillows on the floor around the table. "Time for a nap!" I declared, snuggling into the soft fabric.

"Iie!" a voice rang out. "It's time for tea!"

Blinking, I stared at the paper door as it was slid open and a short man wearing a kimono walked in carrying a tray with a tea pot and cups. His feet were slid into wooden sandals that made small clunking sounds on the floor as he walked. Rei stood up and took the tray from his hands, sitting it down on the table.

"Arigato, Grandpa," Rei smiled, then noticed his eyes on me. "This is a new girl at Juuybun High, Tuskino Usagi."

I stood up and bowed briefly to the old man. His slightly wrinkled brow turned together as he studied my face. Slowly he walked towards me, keeping constant eye contact. "It is a pleasure to be in your presence," he said before bowing once more and going to the door. "If you need anything, Rei, I'll be at with Yuuichirou in the training room."

Rei nodded her head. After he left the room, she sat back down. "That was certainly strange," she noted, sitting her tea cup down. "Grandpa usually only says a quick hello to my friends. It was as if he knew you were a princess or something," she remarked, looking at me in deep thought.

"Well," Minako said finally, breaking the long, uncomfortable silence. "It's not written on her forehead, so I think we're safe." The Princess of Venus slammed her math book down on the table and opened it up. "Oh, Usagi-chan, where is Shingo?"

For a split moment I forgot where my younger brother was, but just as quickly I remembered. "Oh, Mamo-chan is suppose to pick him up at school and take him on a couple of errands with him so I can get started on my homework."

A pin could have dropped and sounded like an atomic bomb after I finished speaking. I blinked, looked around and cleared my throat nervously. "Nani?"

In a high pitched voice, nothing like my own, Rei clasped her hands under her chin and batted her eyes. "Oh, Mamo-chan is suppose to pick him up..." she mocked, bursting out in laughter.

"Mamo-chan?" Minako asked, sliding closer to me and peering at my embarrassed face curiously. "When did you acquire pet names?"

I felt the blood rush to my face, burning like fire on my cheeks and forehead. I will not be embarrassed, I told myself. But I couldn't stop the flush in my cheeks or the way the ground demanded my gaze. "It's just something we started doing, nothing special..." I mumbled.

Ami leaned over her book and smiled at me. "The name Mamo-chan is adorable, I just couldn't imagine you calling Mamoru-san that. It's so... strange. Young Protector," she said in English. "How kawaii!"

"And what, pray tell, does he call you?" Minako asked, still in her rather close position next to me.

"Usako," I whispered, feeling even more blood rush to my face.

"Kawaii!" all four girls chorused, hearts in their eyes.

"Oh brother," I mumbled, burying my face in my arms.

I looked up from the book in my lap and saw Shingo peer out of the bathroom door, a towel wrapped around him. The water droplets on his hair fell down on the floor around him as he dashed into the bedroom and grabbed up his pajamas and then ran back. A few minutes later he came back in the bedroom, a comb in his hands. "Can you brush my hair?" he asked, placing the black comb next to me. "Just like Mamoru-san's?"

"Just like Mamo-chans?" I inquired. "Why do you want to look like Mamo-chan?"

"Because I want to be just like him," he answered seriously. "One day when I'm bigger I'm going to have a car just like him, and an apartment just like him, too!"

It never occurred to me that Shingo needed someone to look up to a male that he admired enough to follow in his footsteps. I smiled at the thought of Shingo growing up with Mamoru's morals and sense of responsibility. I also felt relieved that Shingo approved of Mamoru so much, since I for one didn't want to give him up any time soon.

"So you like Mamo-chan a lot, ne?" Shingo nodded his head yes immediately, giving me the courage to go on with other questions I was wanting to ask. "Does that mean you don't mind me dating him?"

Shingo pondered on this a moment while I combed his hair over just as Mamoru brushed his. One small lock of blonde hair in the back resisted the change and kept sticking up. "I don't mind," he answered carefully. "But he's not going to go away like Dad, is he?"

The comb in my hand dropped to the floor as I pulled Shingo close to me in a hug. I rubbed his back soothingly and rocked him back and forth, assuring him that no one else in his life would leave him the way that our parents did. "Mom and Dad didn't want to leave us Shingo, but they couldn't help it. You understand that, don't you?"

Shingo nodded his head yes and laid back on my shoulder. For a long time I held him, thinking about how hard this must all be for him. My heart felt heavy as I laid him down and brought the covers up to his chin. Please Lord, I prayed silently. Don't let my words be false.

I watched Shingo for a moment before going back to my desk to work on my homework. I had no more sat down when a semi sweet taste filled my mouth. In seconds it was gone, but my stomach seemed to come alive, twitching with pain. The feeling was the same as this morning and I ran for the bathroom, barely lifting the toilet lid before I vomited. Again and again, wave after wave hit my stomach until I couldn't breathe. Finally it subsided, leaving my body weak and my face flushed. I crawled over to the counter where I pulled myself up and looked in the mirror.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked my reflection. Of course, it didn't answer. Weak now, I walked back to my room and crawled into the bed. I don't remember going to sleep, that is how fast it came over me. But the dreams that would come to my head tonight would answer some of my questions - and leave more in their place before dawn broke.

-End Chapter 5.

* "Ohayo" translates to "Good morning"

** "Minna" translates to "Everyone"

Still don't own Sailor Moon. Incase you were wondering.  
Thank you guys so much for reviewing, following, favoriting (is this a word?) anyway - thank you so much for reading! I read each review, so if you have questions, I will answer the best I can. If you haven't read the manga or watched Sailor Moon Crystal, head over to and catch up on the awesomeness!

See you in the next chapter where some questions will be answered and some more questions will be brought forth :)

3 Beth


	6. Dreamscape

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally Released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter Six - Dreamscape**

Hazy white thick fog surrounded me. It was the same vision, or dream, I had before. Everything seemed to be slowed down, every noise louder. Each breath I drew echoed around me, magnified thousands of times to fill my mind completely. I moved, my arm seemingly viewed in each stage of air it passed.

I waited, but the girl never appeared before me. I moved around, but it seemed I hadn't moved at all. Then, like before, the mist gave way to a white light. Dim at first, it grew larger. But still I didn't see Princess Serenity from my previous visions. Instead I found myself watching what appeared to be a scene from someone's life; a large throne room rose up before me. Queen Serenity, my mother, sat on a throne looking deep and troubled.

"Mother?" a girl called, her long flowing white dress moved in the air behind her slim figure. She rushed into the large room. She stopped short of a throne, one hand on her heart while she attempted to catch her breath. "What is it that you wanted to see me about so urgently? Is everything alright?"

"Serenity," Queen Serenity said calmly as she stood. "It has come to my attention that you have been sneaking off to Earth again."

Princess Serenity's eyes widen slightly before she caught herself. "I-I don't know what you are talking about," she said, her eyes betraying her lie as they skipped around the room. "Has my guardians came to you with tales as such?" Her nervous demur disappeared as she tried to find out who had been spying on her.

"They have not," Queen Serenity snapped, stepping down from her throne and before her daughter. "Serenity, what have I told you about Earth? They are hostile at this time, threatening to attack us. I know you believe yourself in love with the young Earth Prince, but I wish you would chose among your suitors. Someone like yourself."

It seemed I was a part of their world, but they had no knowledge of my existence. I moved around the two talking, however, they didn't notice me. Slowly I approached the Queen and her daughter - myself in my past life. From where I stood beside her, I could see the tears filling her blue eyes.

"What do you know?" she cried, those crystal tears falling down her face despite her attempt to wipe them away. "I do love Endymion, with all my heart. And I care not the danger seeing him imposes, he would never let any harm come to me!"

"And how do you know that, Serenity? You're young and lust makes you see no lies. He is the Prince of those who plan to cause war; those who seek to destroy our world and take the Silver Crystal. Do you think he would abandon them when they fight us? I think not," she concluded, not allowing Serenity to get a word in edgewise.

Princess Serenity stomped her foot in frustration and fled from the room. I followed her, running as fast as she. It wasn't long before she stopped, looked around cautiously, and we entered a room that held a tall chamber made of steel. She stepped into the room and shut the door. The room around us disappeared, only to be replaced a second later with a garden of lush green.

The stars twinkled madly above, surrounding the Moon. Serenity moved carefully through the garden and to a balcony. A tall man stood, looking out into the darkness as if he were waiting for her. He lifted her up over the small stonewall, leaving me - unknown to them - to climb over and follow.

When I reached the inside room, Serenity was standing next to the man whom had helped her in. The fire light from the small flame in the fireplace danced over the couple, sending shadows moving along the walls.

The past self of Mamoru, Prince Endymion – had his arms tightly around Serenity. She cried of the cruelties that life had presented them with while he soothed her.

Memories flooded my mind. The answers to questions I had been asking for days were being answered before my eyes. The past love that Serenity said I had forgotten. Just as Mamoru had said. So many things were coming together, but they left more questions in their place. Why was I being shown this now? And why was I being shown this way? Did Princess Serenity want me to see this or am I dreaming it? How could I find out?

Instead of dwelling on the questions, I walked toward the couple. Endymion looked as much like Mamoru as I do Princess Serenity. The way he held her, the way he breathed in her ear as he spoke reminded me so much of Mamoru that my chest hurt. I longed to be in Mamoru's arms as my past self was in Endymion's.

"What are we to do, Endymion? With the upcoming war, and soon I won't be able to hide it from my mother any more..." she sobbed against his chest.

Hide what from mother? I wondered, stepping closer. I was as curious about the answer as I was fearful.

"Shhhh," Endymion whispered, trying to reassure her. "We'll find a way. I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and I'm a man of my word. You do believe me, don't you?" he asked, lifting her face with the tip of his fingers.

Princess Serenity nodded her head and leaned against his broad chest. I found myself drawn to the couple the longer they stood, holding each other. It was like a moth drawn to a flame, I couldn't help myself. Serenity's eyes locked on my own and I felt my breath catch. She can see me. I thought frantically about what that could mean, but words refused to form.

Her small hand reached up and captured Endymion's, bringing it towards her stomach to lie there softly. I began to shake my head, back and forth, stepping backwards as I did so. This couldn't be happening. I must be dreaming! my mind screamed frantically.

But this illusion, or dream, would not end. "No," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. "You can't do this to me! I'm not you!" I screamed this time, clutching my own mid section.

Endymion smiled, not seeing me as Serenity did. When his hand pressed through the layers of her dress, I could see how her stomach was swollen. "Serenity," he breathed. "No matter what happens, the three of us will be together... I promise.."

The words echoed in my head, over and over again, like a drum with a steady beat. "..the three of us..." I shook my head in denial, running from the haunting image I had just witnessed. Running from Serenity, and her life she had lost. And now she was trying to lay claim to mine. "No!" I screamed back at her, and then stopped short.

There was nothing behind me. Nothing in front of me. The empty space I had begun in was back, the Earth gardens disappearing into nothingness. Sobs clutched at my throat, blocking my air passage. Tears ran down my face as I gasped and bent over in pain. "NO!" I screamed.

Serenity appeared in front of me, not taking her time and making an entrance as usual. She stepped closer to me, but I pulled away. Afraid of her, that her touch would somehow harm me. My glare was full of hate as I faced her. "You..." I wheezed, trying to clear my voice. "What are you doing to me? Am I... Am I going to have his baby?" The words came crystal clear, but my mind screamed denial as my body knew the truth.

Serenity no longer seemed to stand proud. She didn't meet my eyes, but from where I stood I could see the pain and tears in hers. "I thought you would be happy," she began, twisting her hands in front of her. "Endymion and I knew it was wrong, but we couldn't help but be happy about our baby." She looked desperate when she approached me this time. "We had this all planned out. We were going to tell his parents first, and then my mother. And they would see how much we loved each other, and let us be wed. It would have worked out!" She appeared to be trying to convince herself, as well as me. "One of the guards over heard us and told the people of Earth that the baby would have eternal life and take over the Earth kingdom. They said I put a spell over Endymion, seducing him for my own motives. That news began the war my mother had been fighting off for years."

"You're crazy," I accused in a near whisper. "Do you think that it would have all turned out like you said? This was no fairy tale, Serenity," I spat, the words harsher than I intended. "Good doesn't always win! Hell, we're proof of that! Happily ever after hardly happens!"

"But you are wrong!" Serenity insisted, down on her knees in front of me. Her tears flowed freely down her face. "When-when Endymion died, I made a wish. I wanted to be with him, with everyone - and I wanted everyone to survive. My mother-our mother," she emphasized, "used the Silver Crystal to send everyone to the future." Our eyes met, and I knew without a doubt what she would say next. "Everyone; including mine and Endymion's unborn child."

My tear filled eyes danced around the empty space, looking anywhere but at Serenity. Silence filled the void between us. It was done. She had set out to become me, and had succeeded. I was carrying Endymion's baby, because of her. I sat down hard on the ground in front of her, all the events I had just seen flashing before me.

Serenity looked at her clasped hands for what seemed an eternity. When finally she looked up, I felt a pang of pity in my heart for this girl. In her life, as well as my own, I had learned what she realized too late. The life of a Princess isn't all that grand and dazzling. In fact, there was hardly anything grand at all. The situation I'm in is done, I thought. Perhaps I should think less of myself and more about someone else.

"It was a few months after my seventeenth birthday when I found out. It wasn't something either Endymion or I had planned - it just happened. There was not a thought about getting rid of it, even if I could have passed myself off as a peasant girl to a healer. Endymion was so supportive, just as I'm sure Mamoru will be."

I didn't have time for the meaning of her words to settle in my mind before I found myself being pulled abruptly from there. I awoke in my bed, small drops of sweat falling down my face and neck. I sat up, my breath coming in quick gasps and my eyes so wide that they hurt. I looked around, disoriented, at my bedroom, until memories cleared away the haziness. The sun was barely peeking over the edge of the mountains, blinding me as I gazed into it. Everything I saw took on an unreal quality. I couldn't believe that my dream was reality. I just couldn't. Not yet.

Pushing the covers back, I stood up and went to the dresser. I didn't even brush my hair before I left; I just quietly slipped out the door and into the lit hallway beyond. I could see the sun rising ever higher in the sky as I rushed down the streets of Tokyo. The chilly morning air blew against my face and arms, but somehow I couldn't feel it. And it wouldn't stop me.

I debated on waiting for a bus, but decided I needed the walk. There was very little traffic this early in the morning, but the few people that were out looked to be in a hurry to get some place. I blended into the crowds until I came upon the large apartment complex where the Senshi of Mercury lived.

Biting numbly on my bottom lip, I knocked on her door. It was quite a few minutes before she came to the door, and I almost gave up. It was stupid to be here this early in the morning, I knew. But I also had to know if my dream had any face value. I lifted my fist to knock again when the door creaked open slowly.

"Usagi-chan?" Ami asked, surprised, as she opened the door further and motioned me inside. "Is there anything wrong? A youma attack?"

I just stared at her a moment, feeling stupid for disturbing her so early in the morning. And speechless to ask what was sitting on my mind. Ami smiled softly, putting her small hand on my shoulder. "Usagi-chan, what is it? You can tell me."

I ran my tongue over my parched lips. My eyes were so dry they felt hollow. I knew I didn't have any tears left in my body, so instead my eyes seemed to widen with pain. Ami guided me to the living room, sitting me down in a chair. I knew what I had come to ask. It was finding the words to begin that were so hard.

Finally, I decided to just say it and get it over with. "Ami-chan, I need you to test me for something..." Just say it! my mind screamed, but my lips refused to listen.

Ami crossed her legs, studying me closely. "For what?" she nearly whispered.

"I think... well, I think I may be pregnant." The words surprised me as well as her, though I had been thinking it since I woke up. Hearing them aloud, and out of my mouth, was a different thing completely. What in the world would I do with a baby? The darkness of doom and uncertainty pulled at my mind.

"Pregnant?" Ami finally repeated, searching my gaze. "Usagi-chan, didn't you just tell us that Shingo wasn't yours and you were a vir-" as she fumbled over words, she reached for her glasses and placed them on her face carefully.

"Please don't ask any questions, yet, Ami. Just do it." This conversation isn't happening, surely. I'm not demanding anything from one of my guardians. And to be asking this, of all things. Pregnant? I was a virgin for crying out loud! Impossible, right? That is what I was here to find out.

Ami reached for her computer, snapping it open. Instantly it replied to her commands; a small red light flashing was barely visible from where I sat. Small fingers, topped with pastel blue nail polish, typed along the keys skillfully for what seemed an eternity. Ami wore the serious mask of a future doctor when she pushed her glasses up to sit in her hair and closed her computer. What I hoped she would say was the opposite of what my heart told me.

"As far as I can see, Usagi-chan, though I can't explain it.." Those words made my heart jump from my chest to my throat in an instant. "..you are somewhere around nine weeks pregnant." She stood up, coming to sit in the floor in front of me. She looked as puzzled as I was devastated. "It's what I picked up on my scan previously, but I didn't think it was possible, so I didn't ask the computer if it was a life…"

So it was true. Not a dream. Not my imagination playing tricks on me. Reality. Hard, scientifically impossible, reality. I once more felt my mind pulling from that well of tears, but I had none. So I sat, staring into space at my own thoughts and fears. Pregnant. Not only that, but I was a virgin. And how would I tell Mamoru that it's his?

"Usagi-chan, you don't look so surprised," Ami accused, staring oddly at me. "Who's is it?"

"Mamo-chan," I answered dumbly, still not looking at her. I felt like I was going to be sick again.

If Ami was surprised, she didn't show it. Of course, I had only been in Tokyo for five weeks, and had known Mamoru less than that. Instead of dwelling on how this happened, I was thankful when she began asking other questions.

It was sometime later when Ami finished poking and prodding at me, and when I finally finished telling her about Serenity and what I saw in my vision last night. For such a scientific person, she was open to unexplainable things. Perhaps you learn not to question reincarnation when you're living proof of it.

What did set my mind at ease was that it was no abnormal event for me to be so tired all the time, or to go around fainting. And that didn't bother me as much as the statement; "You'll be sick for another couple of weeks." Ugh, that sounded like a ton of fun, let me tell you.

Was life not hard enough right now? My parents still fresh in their graves, finding out that just about my whole life had been a series of events that lead me up to... what? Standing here, across the world from where I wanted to be - pregnant with what would be the biggest news on Earth if it were found out. I am a Princess who is supposed to be defeating an enemy that wants to destroy Earth - yeah, right.

"Oh, could you please keep the noise level on your attacks down? You'll wake the baby." I could see it now.

On a more serious note, though. What if I hurt the baby while fighting? I may not have wanted this baby, but let's face it - it isn't going anywhere. And I definitely don't want him or her hurt while I fight. And what about my job? And school? Too many questions and too few answers haunted my mind all the way home.

When I arrived I was surprised to find Haruka's car sitting in front of the apartment complex. Michiru sat in the passenger seat, and motioned to me as I passed. Both stepped from the car, following me inside the building. When at last I was out of the chilly wind, I turned and smiled as brightly as my worn out features would allow. "Konnichi'wa, Michiru-san, Haruka-san."

"Morning neko-chan*," Haruka replied, winking. She stopped short in what she was going to say, suddenly studying my face. "Usagi, you've been crying," she stated, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to me. "Tears do not suit you at all. What's wrong?"

Michiru stood beside her, smiling softly at me. I'm sure that it would have done a load of good to get everything off my chest, but now was not the time. And these were not the people. Ami was a great friend, but she seemed to want to focus on how the baby would change my health physically rather than emotionally. And emotionally, I felt drained enough to sleep for a week. "I eh," I begun, fumbling for an excuse for the horrible way I'm sure I looked. "It's nothing."

Michiru placed her arm around my shoulders, squeezing lightly. "It's okay if you want to talk about it. We'll listen. Is it about your parents?"

With the window of opportunity wide open, I jumped on the chance Michiru had just unknowingly given me. "Hai," I answered quickly. "But I'll be okay." I sniffed back my tears, trying to not think of the dull aching beginning in my head. I wondered, then, what they would think of me if they knew I was pregnant. Seventeen, unmarried, new to the town, and carrying the baby of a man I had known less than how far along I was. I felt like I should somehow be ashamed. And for the first time since my parent's death I was actually glad they weren't here to see me - what a disappointment I would be. "I was just going to go and get Shingo ready for school, so I need to be going."

"Oh, gomen," Haruka said, smiling. "Don't let us hold you up. Actually, we just came over here to see if you wanted us to pick Shingo up for school. Hotaru goes to the same school, so it wouldn't be out of the way."

"Hotaru has been going on for days about how cute Shingo is, perhaps they could be friends," Michiru added. She stood so meek and withdrawn standing next to Haruka. She reminded me of someone who sat back and studied a situation before actually placing herself in it. I wish I had that luxury.

Two things came to mind - how I wanted to be the one to take Shingo to school; and how much easier it would be to not have to rush like crazy to get to my classes every morning. In the end, I thought better that Shingo make some friends - so I let go of my selfishness. "I would love that, Haruka-san. And I'm sure Shingo would too. What time do you want him ready?"

Haruka looked at her wristwatch, but for some reason I had the feeling she already knew what time it was. "Well, in the next ten minutes or so."

I was dumbfounded. Had I actually spent that much time over at Ami's? I was going to be late, Shingo was going to be late - and I'm sure that both Shingo and Makoto are wondering where in the world I was.

My face must have registered some shock, because Michiru laughed softly. "Didn't you know what time it was?"

"Eh, actually, I guess I lost track," I answered, stumbling over my words as I pointed to the elevator. "Come on up and I'll get him ready."

The two women (I was still having a hard time coming to grips with remembering that Haruka is female.) followed me up to Makoto's apartment. They sat patiently in the living room while I rushed towards the bedroom looking for Mako-chan and Shingo. I found them laughing in the bathroom, Makoto spiking Shingo's hair. I pushed the door open further. "As strikingly handsome as you are like that, you need to brush it down. Haruka-san and Michiru-san are going to take you to school and they are waiting."

Shingo rushed passed me, saying something about finding his school bag and Makoto put her hand on her hip. "Where have you been?" I thought she would be mad at me, but instead she appeared to have been more worried.

I twisted a piece of my hair between my fingers nervously and turned to go out of the room. "I'll explain after school, when everyone gets here."

Makoto looked somewhat puzzled, but followed me out of the room. As I went through the motions of getting Shingo out the door to school, I worried about how I would tell them I was pregnant - and worried more about their reactions.

* * *

I looked at the package set before me. Ami nodded her head, pushing them closer to me, even as I shrank away. "Demo..." I mumbled. "They taste like... like... cardboard!"

"I won't ask how you know what cardboard tastes like," Rei pointed out, looking slightly amused at my reaction. Relief came over me; since we had been sitting here it was the first time Rei had showed any emotion whatsoever.

Minako leaned forward, her elbows supporting her weight as she did so. "Don't worry about school, just get everything you can get done while you still can and then enroll in night school or something."

A wan smiled tugged on my lips. I had been so scared to come here this afternoon, and tell them what had happened last night and Ami's findings this morning. But oddly enough, everyone was being so supportive. I felt myself relax some, until Ami pushed the package of saltine crackers even closer to me. "Can't I eat Ritz or something like that?"

Ami shook her head, smiling at me with sympathy. "Saltines help calm your stomach by absorbing some of the acids that cause you to become nauseated. It's probably the one food you'll be able to keep down until you are out of your first trimester. Of course, you'll need to get on prenatal vitamins so that you don't become anemic or anything, that would be bad for the baby," she advised, still eyeing me and my reluctance towards the crackers.

I stared at that hateful package, looking so innocent on the table. Finally, with the urging of Ami, I took it and placed it next to me on the floor. "I, eh, don't feel sick now. But I'll eat them later." Everyone looked at me doubtfully. "When I'm hungry," I supplied, trying to smile.

The room fell quiet for a moment, the peacefulness of the temple allowing only the songs of birds to be heard. I knew what the next question on everyone's mind, it was just seeing who would be the one to say it. It turned out to be Makoto.

"Eh, Usagi-chan, when are you going to tell Mamoru-san?"

An even hush went around the room, every one of my guardians leaning forward while they waited for my answer. It was then that my well of tears had restored itself, and I felt tears begin to fill my eyes. "I don't know how to tell him. I know he won't believe me. Would you all have believed me if Ami hadn't said it true?"

Each of the Senshi looked at me, the truth in their eyes. Who would have believed it, without proof? Even I had denied it until I couldn't be any longer. Rei, who was sitting beside me, placed her hand on my shoulder. "Just tell him everything you've told us. You know, Mamoru-san has regained more of his memories than any of us. He may already remember all of this."

"And if he doesn't, he might think that I'm just a little slut that wants to make him the father of a mistake I made in the States!" I replied back, harsher than I meant to. Everyone except Rei seemed to recoil from my outburst.

Instead of looking at me in sympathy like the others, her eyes glowed with anger. "So what do you plan to do, Usagi? Not tell him, try to raise a baby on your own? Even with our help, you need Mamoru's emotional support and I don't need to be as smart as Ami to know it! I see the way you two look at each other, like there is no one else in the world. Are you going to sit there and tell me that you can cut that off, and not be heartbroken? Would you do that to yourself, as well as Mamoru?" Her posture, her tone, reminded me of the Fire Princess I had known on the Moon. Behind it all, she was always my best friend. And I knew that even though she was angry, my best interest was in her heart. When I said nothing, she continued; "Usagi, we aren't on the Moon anymore. You and Mamoru are on the same planet-the same city. There's nothing to keep you apart like there used to be."

"I don't know how to tell him..." I said, but as the words left my mouth I realized I was whining. And I knew that whining and crying didn't change anything. This was going to be hard, but nothing in my life would be easy again. I had to face that, learn to live with it. And this was relatively small compared to what I might face in the future.

Minako laid her head down on her folded arms, looking straight at me. "Just tell him what you told us, Usagi-chan. I know it will be hard, but we are here for you. The worst he can do is not believe you."

"And then the worst I can do is aim a fire charm at him," Rei said, smiling at me.

I cracked a smile at that, shaking my head. I stood up and grabbed my backpack. "I have to be heading to work now. Mamo-chan is going to bring Shingo to the arcade, so he will be with me tonight."

"You know I don't mind babysitting," Makoto pointed out, her finger stuck out to indicate my stomach. "All of us will be happy to help out with Shingo or this new addition."

"Thank you," I grinned, patting my stomach. "I may have to take you up on that offer. But while I can still care fully for Shingo, I want to make the best of it I can. I'm afraid it won't be too long until I won't feel like playing with him until after the baby is born."

Everyone nodded their understanding and bid me goodbye. I walked down the temple steps rather slowly, thoughts clouding my mind. Telling Mamo-chan was a lot harder than it sounded, my hands actually shook I was so scared of the concept. But like Minako said, the worst he can do is not believe me. I have to think positively about the situation I'm in, since there is no way out of it.

I walked into the arcade and fruit parlor and headed straight for the bathroom to change clothes. Leaving my bag in my locker, I clocked in and headed for Motoki.

"Hey Usagi-chan!" he greeted, smiling as always. "You have tables one thru ten tonight. It's a Monday night and we are usually pretty slow, so do you want to go home early if it gets too slow? Or do you want me to let Naru go and you stay?"

"I'll stay," I replied immediately, knowing I needed the money no matter how bad I wanted to go home early.

"Great," Motoki reached in his pocket and produced a nametag. My name was typed out, beside it a small picture of a bunny. "You left this here yesterday so I added something, if you don't like it you can peel it off."

"Oh no, it's cute!" I assured him. "Well, I better get to work."

Motoki was right, the store was extremely slow. A few teenagers hung out in the arcade room, but my only customers were an elderly couple and a younger woman with long emerald hair. She sat alone near the windows over looking the streets and sipped green tea. With no work to do, I found myself wiping clean counter tops over and over again and sighing often. At least I'm getting paid to stand here and do practically nothing, I thought.

Putting my rag down, I picked up the pot of tea and started towards the woman again when I felt a small pang in my stomach. The lady looked up, as if she somehow knew what I felt and our eyes meet. Her magenta colored eyes were intense, studying me like she could sense what I was thinking. The now familiar sweet taste fled up my throat, drowning my mouth and I practically dropped the pot of tea in my hurry to the restroom.

After my close encounter with the toilet - one I was beginning to hate - I filled my hands with cool water and splashed it on my face. My cheeks were flushed and I felt feverish. Closing my eyes, I waited for my beating heart to calm down so that I could return to work. My eyes snapped open when the restroom door opened and the woman with the long green haired came through it. "Feeling better?" she asked, her long arms crossed in front of her casually.

She leaned against the doorframe, preventing me from exiting without asking her to move. For some reason, I had the feeling of being trapped. I took a step back, wary of her motives. "Eh, hai. I'm okay."

She nodded her head, her eyes locked on mine again. She seemed to be searching my soul, looking for something, perhaps. When finally I could break the contact, I felt strange, almost light headed. "I need to return to work now," I said, placing my paper towel in the trash and taking a step towards her.

Her eyes darted to my nametag, and a small smile tugged on her lips. "Usagi, that is your name?" I nodded. "What is your last name? If I may ask."

Well you already have asked, I thought. What the use in asking if you can now? Biting my bottom lip, I meet her gaze again. "Tsukino. Tsukino Usagi."

"Moon Bunny?" she said in perfect English, not a hint of her Japanese accent coming through. "That's an odd translation, ne?"

"Gomen ne, but I have some customers I need to attend to..." I said, making an excuse as I reached for the door handle.

Her hand grabbed mine and I looked up in fear. When our eyes meet, I tried to hide my anxiety from her and made my gaze steady. Instead of the intense stare she had meet me with moments before, her eyes appeared softer now - almost lovingly. "How far along are you, Princess?"

So much for my control over my emotions. Shock made me stutter as I stepped back from her. "N..Nani? How did you know?" And then, her intense stare, the way she seemed to search my soul. It was like a light bulb turned on in my head - and then suddenly shattered into a million pieces. "Who are you?" I asked, trying to sound as much and in control and demanding as I once did on the Moon. Pride for who I was - Princess Serenity and Sailor Moon - made my spine turn to steel and my eyes bore harder into the woman in front of me.

"Ah, so there is the Princess I was searching for," she said, looking slightly amused. "I was wondering when you would come out of hiding. You never did tolerate ignorance to any situation. I also see your memory has not returned in full yet, or you wouldn't be asking who I was."

She looked so familiar, but I couldn't pin it. Confused, I hoped she was a friend - and not an enemy. "Can we take this to your table?" I asked, holding my hand on the counter. "I feel slightly light headed." And if you are an enemy, Mamo-chan will be here any minute with Shingo and kill you for touching me.

"Of course," she smiled, moving out of the way and holding the door open for me. We went to her table, sitting across from each other. I waited for her to sip her tea before talking. "My name is Setsuna, but before you try, you won't remember me by that name. I have known you in both your life times, from the moment you were born on the Moon until this very second. I know how you used to sneak off to Earth to be with Endymion, I know that you were pregnant - and that the last wish you made on the Moon was for everyone, including your baby, to be restored in this life. And your mother, granting that wish, had no idea you were with child." She stopped, sipping from her cup again and looking at me over the rim of her glass. "You never answered my question earlier."

"Which was that?" I asked, amazed at this woman's knowledge of things I had only just discovered - but determined not to let her know that. My stomach felt weak again, and with about as much enthusiasm as a man walking the plank, I pulled a saltine cracker from my pocket and began nibbling on it.

"How far along are you?"

The bits of salt flavored sandpaper moved around in my mouth as I chewed, touching my tongue and making me want to gag. I'm sure Ami doesn't know what she is talking about on this one, saltines are more likely to make me vomit than the baby. "About nine weeks," I answered, putting the rest of the cracker down and reaching for the glass of water I had brought to the table with me. The cool liquid rushed down my throat, taking the soggy pieces of cardboard with it as I swallowed. "Excuse me for a moment." Quickly I stood up and went to the only other occupied table in the room. The elderly couple said they didn't need anything else, gave me a handsome tip, and left.

When I returned to the table, Setsuna laughed softly, like I had never gotten up. "Not crazy about saltines, ne? Can't say I blame you." Her casual conversation seemed forced, an intentional change of subject.

I put the glass of water back on the table and looked her straight in the eyes. The smiled dropped off her face, replaced by a serious look that made me wish for her cheerfulness back. I leaned forward, still looking her in the eyes. "Who are you? Why don't I remember you when it is obvious you know both my life histories?"

"I am-"

"Setsuna, what are you doing here?" Mamoru asked, coming up to the table, Shingo in his arms. He put my brother down, eyeing the woman in front of me strangely.

Setsuna looked shocked, in a way, at his words. But I had the feeling that her shocked exterior was only a facade. She seemed to have already known what he was going to say before he showed up. "Mamoru-san," she greeted, now back to her cool calmness she had shown me. "How nice to see you here."

Mamo-chan handed Shingo some tokens, instructing him to go downstairs. He stood for a moment, uneasily, and sat down next to me. Setsuna watched him, a blank stare on her face, then looked at me a little guiltily. I smiled when Mamo-chan placed his arm around me, and snuggled into his embrace. But the second his hand slightly came in contact with my stomach I remembered about the conversation Setsuna and I were having before Mamo-chan came in. I prayed she didn't say anything to him. Trying to clear away the fears clouding my mind, I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"Hmmm," Setsuna said quietly, sipping her tea again.

"Usako," Mamo-chan began, facing me. "What time do you get off work? I was hoping I could take the love of my life out to dinner tonight."

"Mamo-chan," I replied, taking no notice of Setsuna's attention on us. "You know I have school tomorrow and some homework to catch up-" I stopped, knowing that he would talk me into it anyways. This was my chance, to be alone with him. To try to explain how it was I was having his baby.

"Nani?" he urged, still waiting for me to complete the sentence I left off in the middle of.

"I think that is a wonderful idea, but I don't want to go out. Can't we order in? I get off work in thirty minutes, and Makoto said she would watch Shingo if I needed her to tonight."

My enthusiasm and my change in attitude confused Mamo-chan. For a moment at least - he looked a little like questioning it. "Okay, we can order in, if you want."

I left him and Setsuna sitting at the table, wondering if I should or not. It had nothing to do with trusting Mamo-chan, but I had the feeling that Setsuna and Mamo-chan weren't just old friends. There seemed to be something a little more business like under the surface. Shrugging it off, I picked up the phone and called Makoto to see if she would baby-sit Shingo for me.

I stepped out of the shower, picking the towel up off the counter. In the full length mirror across from me, I stopped to stare at my reflection. I hadn't paid much attention to it before today, but I felt different somehow.

I placed my hand on my flat stomach and tried to picture myself pregnant. The idea of my body swelling up didn't appeal to me. "Can I love this child that I didn't want?" I asked my reflection, putting both hands on my stomach. "Will Mamo-chan want it? Want me, my little brother and a baby?" I just stared into my own blue eyes, and thought about Mamoru's. The bottomless well of feelings for me that I saw there every time our eyes meet.

"Usagi-chan, Mamoru-san is here to pick you up!" Makoto shouted through the door, knocking slightly on it.

"Hai!" I replied, putting the towel around me and cracking the door open. "Tell him to give me a minute. Well," I said to myself, once the door was closed. "There's no time like the present."

 **-End Chapter 6.**

Okay, the answer to one of everyone's questions - yes, she is pregnant. But what I want to know is what you all think of the way I presented it, because I love this idea ^_^

I do not own Sailor Moon. I know this is getting repetitive, but I don't want that one chapter to be the one where someone decides to sue me lol!

I'm already working on editing the next chapter, I should have it out in the next hour or so. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for the reviews, messages, and such. Thank you for reading.

God bless.

Beth


	7. The Truth Within

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 7 – The Truth Within**

Mamoru embraced me as soon as I came into the living room. From the way he held me, one would never know we parted less than an hour before. Makoto grinned, holding her hand over her mouth to suppress her giggle as she backed into the kitchen to fix dinner.

I watched her go over Mamoru's shoulder. A wonderful sense of comfort and security wrapped around me with his strong arms. "Hello beautiful," he whispered in my ear. The time we had spent together was so wonderful that I feared tonight. Afraid that the news of my condition would turn him away from me. How would I cope with my pregnancy without him?

I pushed the thoughts away and walked into the kitchen where Makoto and Shingo were eating their dinner. "Shingo, you be a good boy for Mako-chan, ne?" I told him, kissing his cheek.

"Hai, Mama," he answered, a piece of carrot falling out of his mouth as he spoke. "Mako-chan and me is going to make cookies!"

"Mako-chan and I," I corrected, wiping his mouth.

"Don't be so nervous," Makoto whispered. "Everything will be fine. By the way," she eyed Shingo as we walked to the door. "Ami-chan is coming over later to examine the bruises on Shingo. But they are looking better today..." She stopped talking, the expression on my face telling her that not too much was going to make me feel better about the blue splotches on my younger brother. Even though they seemed to be getting better, they were also covering a larger portion of his body.

I gave one last worried look at Shingo and hugged Makoto. "Wish me luck," I whispered. I bit my bottom lip so hard I feared it would bleed.

"You won't need it, Usagi-chan. He loves you." Mako-chan smiled at me as I pushed the swinging door open and left with Mamoru. However, her assurance did nothing for my pounding heart.

It may have been because I was so nervous, but the ride to Mamoru's apartment seemed to take forever. Every light seemed to turn red on us and the car was filled with an uneasy silence. Mamoru reached over and squeezed my hand tightly, throwing me an adorable grin. "Why are you so quiet? Are you that afraid of my cooking?"

"Cooking?" I asked absentmindedly, fingering a button on my blouse. "You cook?"

"Don't act so thrilled," he remarked, and then laughed. "We can order something if you don't like it."

"Oh!" I inhaled; the meaning finally cleared my preoccupied mind to make sense. "I didn't mean that." I looked over to meet his eyes just as he let go of my hand. We pulled into the parking garage and he cut the engine. "Mamo-chan," I whined, placing my hand on his cheek. "Gomen nasai, I really didn't mean to imply that you can't cook."

He turned towards me, his bottom lip puckered out before he busted out laughing. "Usako, you always worry so much about others feelings. Don't worry so much, it doesn't matter as much as your happiness." Gently he reached over and kissed my nose. "I love you."

Against my will, the first smile I had managed today broke across my face. "You are silly, Mamo-chan. Of course it matters if I make everyone happy. I want us all to be happy."

"Wait, you don't love me, too?" he asked, pouting with his bottom lip again.

"You know I do, stop teasing me!" I laughed, slapping him lightly on the arm.

"There's the wonderful sound you've been hiding from me today," he said seriously, opening his car door. I waited as he ran to my side of the car and opened the door. When I stepped out, he pulled me to his chest to hug me before we went inside.

* * *

"Wow, Mamo-chan! I didn't know you could cook like this!" I exclaimed, putting my napkin down and thinking about my over stuffed tummy. "We better not do this too often, or I'll look like the broad side of a barn!" Which I probably will anyways, I thought drearily. The picture of my stomach sticking out, demanding that everyone see it before me wasn't too appealing. Which brought my thoughts back to telling Mamo-chan that I'm pregnant.

"I did learn a trick or two, living by myself the better half of my life." He stopped for a moment, studying me. "What are you thinking about with such a serious look on your face?" Mamo-chan asked, bringing me out of my daze. He started to pick my dish up to take into the kitchen, when I stood up, pulling him to me and pressing my lips to his eagerly. When we finally broke, I wrapped my arms around him tightly. "Usako," he mumbled, feeling my shivering body. "What's wrong?"

I pressed my face to his chest, fearing that I was inhaling his cologne - feeling his embrace - for the last time. My heart pounded madly in my chest, feeling like it would burst out. "Mamo-chan, I've got something to tell you. And... and, please promise me that even if we are not together anymore that you will still love me a little. And.. and I won't bother you anymore. I will live on that for the rest of my life."

"Usa," his deep voice seemed to radiate with as much fear as that I held in my heart. "What are you talking about? There is nothing that is so bad that I would leave you. I don't care if you have murdered something. There is nothing that bad. What are you saying?" Pressed against his chest, I could feel him placing his hands on my shoulders to move me back.

Our eyes meet, but I couldn't find the words. Just said it, Usagi, I told myself. You can't keep it a secret forever, you know. "Well, I.." Come on chicken, just say it. "Mamo-chan, I'm p-"

*BEEP*

Both of our gazes fell on the communicator that Ami had given me just the day before. We just sat, staring at it as if we expected it to leap up and dance. I looked over at Mamo-chan, lost my nerve to tell him, and flipped my compact open. "Hai?"

The static on the line cleared slowly, Minako's face coming across the screen. She looked to be running, her hair flowing behind her rather than laying on her shoulders as usual and she spoke between taking deep breaths. "Usagi-chan, there is a youma attack at the concert hall," she said hastily. "We are on our way there now."

"Mamo-chan and I will meet you there," I replied, shutting the compact closed with one hand while reached for my broach with the other. I opened my eyes, seeing Mamo-chan's serious expression as he stared into my eyes.

"Usako, what where you going to tell me?" Mamo-chan asked, holding his hand over my broach to keep me from transforming. I didn't know, but I had the feeling it wouldn't be much good if I tried to transform with someone else's hand also on my broach. I tried to meet Mamoru's eyes, silently pleading for him to let it alone, but he wouldn't back down.

"We'll talk about it later," I finally said, not leaving much room for a breath, let alone an argument. I tried to smile at him and failed miserably. When that didn't work I kissed him quickly on his lips, pulled the broach over my head, and prayed for our baby's health as I said: "Moon Crystal Power, Make-UP!" When my transformation was complete, I smiled to myself. Under my fuku I could feel the magical barrier around my stomach. I looked at Mamo-chan as he turned to Tuxedo Kamen, but he didn't seem to notice anything different about my appearance.

"Let's go," I said, turning towards the door.

"Let's go my way," Tuxedo Kamen instructed, opening the balcony door. I followed him to the doorway, looking out at the city below.

He picked me up and jumped from twelve stories up. I gasped and grinned at him. "I forgot how you like to make an entrance."

My beloved kissed my nose before jumping to the next rooftop. "You were right about one thing."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I'm going to have to limit how often I cook." He jumped from that roof top to the next before I had time to process his comment.

Oh great, I thought, when it finally hit me. I'm gaining weight already.

* * *

"Supreme Thunder!"

We landed on the roof of the concert hall just as Jupiter's attack went flying towards the youma. The beast looked like a violin that had grown legs, arms, head and had a voice that could shatter glass. The thing jumped just in time so that Jupiter's attack hit the building instead.

"Watch it, Jupiter!" Mercury advised, pulling her palmtop out. "There's still people in the building."

Jumping from the roof, Tuxedo Kamen placed me on the ground and headed the opposite direction. I ran up to where Mercury was standing. "So what's the deal?" I looked over at the fight where Venus was using her crescent beam to try and hit the youma. It moved skillfully (or luckily) out of the way, laughing at her attempts to trap it.

Without looking up from her calculations, Mercury began talking. "The youma attacked everyone inside, draining their energy. She seems to be striking us by shooting the gathered energy at us through the notes she plays on the violin strings."

"Deep Submerge!"

"Oh look," she noted without much interest, again not bothering to look up. "The Outer Senshi has shown up. By the way, did you tell Mamoru?"

I blinked, trying to keep up with the fast change of subject. "Eh, no. This Youma's timing kind of interrupted us before I could get to it. By the way, I-" Before I could finish, I saw the youma turn towards Sailor Neptune and draw its bow across the strings. She seemed to be preoccupied, not noticing its attention. "Neptune, look out!" I screamed, running towards her.

When she turned, fear nailed her to her spot, helplessly watching the attack fly towards her. With a leap and a prayer for good aim, I took a running jump - knocking both Neptune and myself out of harm's way. As we rolled to a stop I heard Uranus mumbling under her breath: "Damn you!" And then; "World Shaking!" The ball of energy the Senshi of the Sky pounded into the ground disappeared for about two seconds. It appeared only feet in front of the stunned youma, hitting it dead on. "How do you like it when someone fights back?" she spat.

"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting up painfully.

Neptune turned over, looking at the sky for a moment. A small trickle of blood ran from a scrape on her right cheek. She sat up, flinching slightly. "A little sore, but it could have been worse. Thank you..." She looked dead into my eyes. "...Princess."

Well, I thought, as I stood to go fight. If there was any doubt they knew about who I am, it's gone now.

Tuxedo Kamen jumped in front of the youma, "Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!" A blast of energy struck the youma in the center where she was playing the violin notes. Her whole body froze as she tried to figure out what had happened. Taking advantage of the timing, Venus jumped in. "Venus Love-Me Chain!" The chain of gilded hearts wrapped around the youma, causing her to scream. Windows all around broke, shattering glass falling everywhere.

More than anything, I heard the sound in my heart. Over and over again the memory of that sound resounded - a painful sight coming with it. "No," I whispered, remembering Mamo-chan dying in my arms. Without thinking, I said the words that would end this creature's destruction, before it hurt someone I loved again. "Moon Princess - Halation!"

The wand in my hand grew bright with power. Instead of feeling the energy run out of my body as usual, I felt a sense of strength in my bones. My every vein from the tips of my fingers to the bottom of my toes seemed to come alive with the surge. My body sang with the sensations; like a rush of adrenaline, the pleasure was thrilling and invigorating. I could think of nothing but the energy radiating through and all around me.

"Usako," I heard in my head. I tried to block it out, savoring the upcoming moment of full power. But Mamo-chan came up beside me, demanding my attention. "Don't over do it, ne? You can stop, it's over now." His voice was deep and luring and reluctantly I found myself listening to him. With his urging, I let the wonderful feeling of the power drain from my body. With it, however, came exhaustion. The tiredness set in, though not nearly as bad as before.

Even though I didn't feel faint, or worse, like I normally did - Mamo-chan still wrapped his strong arms around my waist. His additional support helped my weaken muscles hold up my weight. "I must be getting better at this, I'm still standing!"

My guardians surrounded me, looking at the broken violin on the ground. Across from us; Neptune, Uranus and Saturn stood staring our direction. As they approached us, I heard the faint mumbling of my guardians wondering what they were wanting. "Shhh," I reprimanded, giving a look to Jupiter to stop.

The outers stopped merely feet from us, Uranus stepping forward. "I want to thank you," she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "For saving Neptune. We don't usually place ourselves in harm's way in order to save each other." She stopped and looked at Neptune, and look I couldn't identify the message that seemed to pass between them.

A moment of silence stretched between us. I began to say something - anything to break the uneasiness - when Saturn stepped up beside Uranus. "I think what Sailor Uranus is trying to say is that we all seem to be working towards a common goal - so there is no reason for us to be strangers. We are all Sailor Senshi."

I looked at the petite senshi and felt an understanding. She was like me, in a way. Responsibility had made her grow up long before her time, but she was proud of who she had to become. I stepped forward, holding my hand out to Uranus. She looked at me curiously for a moment, and I feared she may change her mind. "Friends?" I asked, hoping it wasn't said nearly as timidly as I felt it was.

"Allies," Uranus answered, shaking my hand like she was closing a business deal. I looked to Sailor Saturn and Neptune - hoping one of them would step forward and say something, anything. But both looked relieved that Uranus had gotten that far. Perhaps I should be, too. "Okay then," I said, not showing my disappointment in neither my face nor my voice. "Allies. But the friendship is always open if you so choose."

"We do not," Uranus replied, taking her hand from my grip and stepping back. "We take care of our own, more than that becomes distracting. Our mission is to take care of you, Princess - and destroy this enemy." She stepped back, eyeing my guardians. "And that is all."

In the blink of an eye, all three senshi disappeared from sight. I felt Venus place her hand on my shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Gomen, Usagi-chan," she whispered. "They have always been this distant."

I turned to her, smiling. "Why are you sorry? Allies is better than nothing, ne? And in time, I'm sure we can all be friends." I walked towards Mamo-chan, the effort to be cheerful becoming tiring. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, waving to the other senshi as we parted.

We barely made it around the corner of a building when he engulfed me in his arms, hugging me so tightly that I was silently glad I was still transformed to protect the baby. "Usako, you scare me when you do things like that."

"What?" I mumbled, somehow connecting his state to the truce between us and the Outer Senshi. He didn't seem to hear my question, however. I stared at his profile in the darkness, but his eyes were hidden from my angle. He turned, simply wrapping one arm around my shoulders as we headed back to his apartment. Instead of questioning him more now, though I wanted to, I let it slide. My thoughts settling back on my situation.

As if on cue, I felt the familiar feeling in my stomach, rising to my throat faster than I could think. Shoving away from Mamo-chan, I ran towards the nearest alley way, vomiting everything that I had eaten since leaving work. When at last it subsided - and believe me, I thought it would last forever - I leaned against the side of building, breathing heavily. It wasn't until I heard Mamo-chan clear his throat that I remembered he was there.

Peeking one eye open, I looked at the face he was making. Oh no, how will I explain this? The truth, I told myself. But I couldn't, I didn't know how to begin. I felt so tired, my body ached. Tell him, don't tell him. Tell him, don't tell him. Over and over again the voices battled in my mind, screaming out what I should or shouldn't do. If I tell him, and he never speaks to me again, what will I do? How will I cope with this baby? You will, another voice instructed. You will do what you have to do just like you always have.

The battle in my mind, without notice, stopped abruptly. There was a peaceful calmness invading my mind, and out of the corner of my eye I seen Mamo-chan rush towards me. How nice for him to catch me; I thought, before I fainted;

Again.

* * *

The sickeningly sweet scent of smelling salts lured me awake. Okay, so I woke up shoving the stuff away from my face. The very trace left in my nose made me want to gag. Blinking my eyes open, I was greeted with the amused look on Rei's face, plus Ami's worried one on the other side of the bed. Which, by the way, was not my own. "Where am I?"

"Nice to see you awake," Rei said, instead of answering me. She glanced at the clock. "This is a new record time for you."

Ami cracked a small smile, but continued to type on her computer. "Everything seems alright," she answered, finally. "Usagi-chan, you can't go around getting stressed out. Your body is producing extra hormones right now and you'll get overly excited about the smallest thing - and ended up lying on the ground."

"And then Mamoru-san calls us, afraid that something is really wrong with you that you're not telling him - which, there is - and we have to come over to save the day," Rei went on, her hands landing on her hips as she spoke. She turned to Ami then, "What do you want me to tell Mamoru-san?"

"Nothing."

I looked back and forth between my two guardians, the expression on Ami's face lost on both me and Rei. The Senshi of Ice clicked her computer closed and ran of fingers through her hair. "Usagi-chan, you are going to continue to stress out about telling Mamoru until you just get it over with. He knows something is up, and that we know about it. I'm not saying anything to him, good or bad. This is up to you. I love you, and I will protect you with my life, but this isn't my-our, fight. We can't do this for you." She frowned, obviously not okay with not being able to protect me from this.

Biting my bottom lip, I laid back on Mamoru's bed (finally realizing where I was) and pressed the tips of my fingers together in thought. There has to be a trick to this, some manual somewhere that explains how to tell your boyfriend that you're pregnant. Perhaps I should check the library. I peeked at Ami through my half closed lids. Maybe she would know; maybe I need to stop over analyzing this.

In my continuing thoughts on the subject, I paid no notice to Rei and Ami going out the door. They were just gone. A few minutes later the shadow of the figure in the doorway was not one I was ready to see just yet.

The Prince of Earth walked towards me slowly, a blank expression hiding his feelings from me. As he sat down on the edge of the bed, I sank back into the blankets and pillows - hoping I could just disappear all together. That wish, as well as many others, wasn't to be granted today.

"Usako," he began, the tone of his voice falling hard on me emotionally. He sounded so drained, so worried and even scared. "Please, talk to me. Please." Gesturing towards the living room, he made a disgusted face. "They... Rei and Ami won't tell me what's wrong with you, but I can tell it's something important. Even though they have to know. And, if we can't talk, then I don't know what to do. Hell, I don't know what to do now." As if to exaggerate his point he ran one hand through his dark hair and let out a deep breath.

I stared at him, guilt for bringing him this low nagging at my heart. This man, whom I have known so short a time - yet he looks at his lowest, so out of ideas on what to do. I turned away from the pain on his face, looking out at the night sky. In the distance the faintest hint of clouds lined the air, blocking the stars from my view.

"Please tell me, Usako," he urged, gripping my hands and meeting my unsure eyes. But I couldn't. And that was the worst feeling I had felt in my life. I couldn't tell him, couldn't find the words to start.

Feeling lower than pond scum, I sat up on the edge of the bed. My eyes downcast, I pulled my hands from his grasp and walked towards the door. "Gomen, Mamo-chan. I can't tell you now. I just can't find the words. It hurts me to know that, maybe as much as it hurts you." I swallowed over the lump in my throat. "I love you. I love you so much."

Opening the door, I went out it, throwing one last longing glance into the bedroom at Mamo-chan. He was still looking at me, and the hurt there would haunt me for a lifetime.

That night was the longest in my life. I laid awake, one hand on my stomach, looking at the ceiling. Beside me, Shingo snored softly and occasionally the heater would turn on and off - otherwise there was no sound. Thoughts clouded my mind, decisions demanded to be made. But there was only so much I could handle, I thought. I had faced my parent's death, I faced moving to Tokyo, and I finally got used to being Sailor Moon - but this, this was too much. I just couldn't wrap my mind around this new turn of events. It wasn't just changing the here and now, it was going to change the rest of my life more than even being Sailor Moon would.

Somewhere around the early morning, I finally slipped into an uneasy sleep that was full of nightmares - and sounds of crying babies.

* * *

The days went by slowly for me. Like someone in a trance, I got myself and Shingo to school, went to work and came home. The dullness of my routine set into my mind, and it became where I didn't have to think in order to follow my routine. At first Mamo-chan continued to try to talk to me, but with missing his phone calls it became easier and easier to run from the problem. If I could pretend it didn't exist, surely I could run forever. I didn't feel very mature about my decisions at the moment, but I was content to ignore the problems. I wasn't content to not be with Mamoru, but my fear of telling him kept everything at bay.

The youma attacks never increased, as Ami feared they might, but usually we had one every other night or so. Every time we fought the enemy, I came home to cry in my bed for hours. Mamoru was always there, just in the shadows. Watching me, protecting me if I should slip up. And every time our eyes meet, I could feel his pain dig deeper into my soul.

The morning sickness - to my eternal relief - faded along my twelfth week of pregnancy. Other than my occasional need to sit and cry like a baby for a couple of hours - I could forget that I was with child all together.

Of course, just because I could forget the problem, didn't make it go away. And like most things in my life, I had to find out the hard way.

It all began one Sunday morning in the late January. I had promised Shingo that we would spend the day at the park and have a picnic (he didn't mind the cold). About eight o'clock that morning - as if I could ever sleep late again - Shingo came bouncing into the bedroom where he had already been watching television for about an hour. "Wake UP! Get up Mama!" he called, climbing onto the bed and standing up. He was about to begin jumping when I reached out and grabbed his legs out from under him.

The six year old fell flat down on the bed, his giggles filling the room. After a few moments of him begging for me to stop, I decided to let him loose to put some clothes on. Unraveling myself from the mass of blankets on the bed, I stumbled into the bathroom to shower. As I dried off I stopped to look in the mirror, as if noticing myself for the first time in months. My stomach had a rather large hard area, in fact my entire stomach seemed to be rounded out. Over the past couple of weeks I had shrugged off the fact that my jeans no longer fit, and I had been hiding my stomach with my apron at work.

But was I really so insistent on ignoring my pregnancy that I hadn't noticed this? Biting my bottom lip, I slipped my pants on, but they were so tight it cut into my waist. Sighing, I pushed my pants below my stomach and picked up my shirt. Which, to my horror, didn't cover the fact I was five months pregnant.

You knew this would happen, Usagi, I scolded my reflection. You can't keep something like this a secret for long. But what to do about it? I had to work, and go to school. And as long as I left the house, there was always a chance Mamoru would see me. And he does see me, I thought vaguely, every time we fight a youma. I guess the protection of my fuku worked to hide my pregnancy as well. If only I could stay transformed…

I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Staring at the evidence of my pregnancy, I buried my face in my palms. "I am a horrible person. How can I feel this way? And it's only going to get worse, isn't it?" I cried openly, burning tears of self pity running down my face and neck.

The bathroom door - which I had failed to close completely - was pushed open slowly. I looked up, putting the towel on my lap in case it was Shingo. Instead I saw the gentle brown eyes of Mako-chan, biting her bottom lip as she entered and shut the door behind her. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan?" she asked, sitting beside me on the floor and wrapping one arm around my shoulders gently.

Pulling the towel off my lap, I pointed to my stomach. "This is what's wrong. I can't hide it now, it will only get worse. And then Mamo-chan will start asking questions..."

"Usagi-chan," Mako-chan said, her voice half amused and half worried. "You just now noticed you're showing? The rest of us have noticed for at least a couple of weeks now." She looked at the horror on my face, just realizing that indeed I had been so occupied trying to ignore my state that I hadn't noticed at all. "Usagi-chan, that's not good. You can't ignore this child. It's not healthy for you or the baby. You need to get help."

"Help?" I mumbled, not understanding at the moment. What kind of help was there for a virgin five months pregnant? "No one can help me."

"You have two options, Usagi-chan. You can get emotional help to deal with this. Or.." she hesitated here, almost like she didn't want to keep going. Or wishing she had never brought it up to begin with.

"Or what?"

An expression of guilt crossed her face, though at the moment I couldn't understand why. It was soon to become too clear. She pushed her hands through her hair, biting her bottom lip again. "Well, there are some doctors that will.. will.. take the baby from you."

I looked at her, puzzled for a minute, until I finally grasped what she meant with horror. "...even if I could have passed myself off to a healer.." The words of Princess Serenity rang in my head, and suddenly a great deal of fear gathered inside of me for my unborn child. I didn't want a baby, not now, but I was no monster. And the more the thought entered my mind, the more horror I felt. "No!" I gasped, "I.. I.. No, I wouldn't even consider it! I may not want this baby, but I don't want any harm to come to it. It's not the baby's fault whose it's parents are..." I wrapped my arms around my midsection, realization finally dawning on me. No, I couldn't deny the fact that I was pregnant - not any longer. And the words I just said to Makoto should have been said a long time before now - to me.

It wasn't by any choosing of this child's who its parents were. The baby didn't ask for Princess Serenity to wish for him or her to be reborn again inside me. And I was being selfish for blaming it, hiding it, and in that sense - harming it. Fresh tears filled my eyes, but they were not of sorrow like they had been as of late. They were of relief. And suddenly, I knew what I had to do.

"Usagi-chan?" Mako-chan asked, after I had said nothing else.

I looked over at her and smiled. Without warning I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you Mako-chan, you just helped me more than you'll ever know!" I jumped up, running to my bedroom to put on a sweatshirt that would at least reach to the bottom of my stomach. Makoto watched me, a look of confusion on her face.

"I have no idea what I've done, but I'm glad. I think," she said, following me back into the bathroom while I brushed my hair out and put it up.

"Can you watch Shingo for me? Just for about an hour or so?" I begged, knowing fully well that she would.

"Sure.." she stumbled, backing out of my way. "But Usagi-chan, where are you going!?" she called, but I was too far away to stop and answer her. The elevator door closed and I leaned against the back wall.

The wind that blew had a bit of a chill to it, but nothing that stopped me from walking the four blocks to Mamo-chan's apartment rather than riding the bus. I felt free, more alive than I had in as long as I could remember. The wind and sun on my face made a smile come to my lips. I could tell him, face my fears and leave them behind. Everything would be okay, and it started with clearing up everything with the man I loved.

I feared that once I actually got to his apartment door, that I would lose my newfound nerve. But that was not to be. I felt a presence with me, someone helping me along. Closing my eyes, I pictured my mother's beautiful face. She was with me, helping me in everything I did. I pushed the buzzer.

The man that greeted me that early January morning was not the man I thought I knew - so much that I gasped and actually stepped backwards. He was unshaven, his shirt unbuttoned half way down, revealing the small patch of dark hair that trailed to his stomach. His blood shot eyes meet mine and faintly registered shock.

"Usa..eh, Usagi," he acknowledged me, bowing slightly. "What do I owe this honor?" His voice was sluggish, his eyes unfocused. What was wrong with him? I took a step forward, and he stepped back. "What do you want?"

"I... I need to talk to you," I managed, fear clutching my chest. Not the normal fear of telling him, but the fear of what had made him act this way to me. Had I done this? I knew it was hard not being with him, but he looked almost... mad at me?

The strong odor of alcohol stretched towards me, turning my stomach. I glared at him, one hand on my hip. "Chiba Mamoru, you've been drinking!" I accused, no longer feeling as fearful as I did moments before.

"Just last night. Besides, what do you care?" he spat, squinting at me strangely. His hand clutched the door frame so hard I thought it would snap. "Leave me alone." Before I had time to react, the door slammed in my face.

For a second I seriously considered leaving. But something inside me refused to allow me to leave. I reached forward, finding, to my surprise, the door wasn't locked. Opening it cautiously, I stepped in. Mamoru was sitting on the couch, staring oddly out the sliding glass doors. A lone tear travelled down his cheek, barely visible in the light coming through the window. "I told you to leave," he stated plainly.

I crossed the living room floor quickly, "I need to talk to you."

Glaring at me, he sat back. "Talk then leave."

This was not the way I had planned on telling him. I looked around the apartment, trying to figure out just how I was going to start since my plan was not going to work at all. The living room that was usually so neat and orderly was trashed. Through the bedroom doorway, I could tell his bed hadn't been slept in all night. "Have you been up all night?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied lowly. His hand raised, one finger pointing towards me. His glare was full of ice, but something lurked under the surface of his rage - something that that made my eyes well up. "You don't mind having your ton of fun, do you? What does it matter if I spend a few sleepless nights?"

His accusing finger frightened me to the very bone. I felt a shiver of fear go up my spine. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my voice was cracking when I spoke: "What are you talking about?"

His still out-stretched finger shook slightly as he gestured towards me. But not at my face, instead towards my midsection. "Do you think I'm stupid? I came to see you last night at the fruit parlor, to ask you if we could talk. But you know, suddenly it all became clear why you had broken up with me." Shaking his head, as if to convince himself what he was saying was correct, he sat forward to the edge of the couch. "What's the matter? Didn't think I would make a good father for your... your... bastard child?"

His words were blows, each punch directed at my soul and they hit their mark head on. I stepped backwards, this time hitting my head slightly on the wall. I didn't just hear those words out of his mouth. This isn't happening, I told myself. Before I could even have thoughts as to stopping them, the tears began running down my face.

Burying my face in my palms I sat on the chair silently crying. Mamoru was silent. I expected words of rage or hate. I expected for him to bring me to my lowest before kicking me out. But there was nothing. When I finally got up the nerve to look at him, I was more than a little surprised to find him looking at me, his face in pain. Our gazes meet - my red, swollen eyes and his wet, blood shot blue ones.

When he rose from the sofa, walking towards me - I didn't know what to expect. Perhaps somewhere in the back of my mind, I even expected him to physically remove me from his sight. So it came as a shock when he knelt before me, brushing the edge of his fingers across my forehead gently. "Usa, please don't cry," his smooth, deep voice whispered. I felt the pounding in my heart subside slightly, but not altogether. "Please," he repeated, getting on his knees in front of me. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was just so jealous, and I've never felt this way and I didn't know how to handle it. But-But that doesn't make it right. I know I'm over reacting. And even though I knew it, I couldn't stop myself. Please, please forgive me. Stop crying."

Even in the heat of the last few moments, some questions were answered that made what I had to say to Mamoru even harder than it would have been. I wanted to ask him how much he remembered of our past lives, hoping that he remembered Serenity pregnant with his child. The words we exchanged said he didn't remember that. Wiping the tears from my face, I looked up into his sincere eyes. "Mamo-chan..."

Before I could finish speaking, Mamoru laid his finger over my lips, stopping me from continuing. "Wait, Usako. Let me finish. I should have paid more attention. When you left me that day, sitting here wondering what had happened. I should have followed you. And instead of filling with rage last night, I should have been telling you that it was okay. That I love you so much that I would always be with you, and father this child an-"

I don't know where it came from, the words rose to my lips before I even knew what I was saying. Cutting him off in mid-sentence, I blurted out the truth.

"Mamo-chan, this baby is yours."

 **-End Chapter 7**.

^_^! Sorry, I'm a cliff hanger junkie!

I still don't own Sailor Moon. Thank you for reading, taking the time to review and email me. I appreciate all the comments so much!

I promise the villain part of the story is going to get ramped up soon!

God bless!

Beth


	8. No Greater Love

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 8 - No greater love**

Silence.

Even the sounds of the cleaning crew who had been in the hallway earlier had faded. The clock sitting on the mantel clicked - now 8:42a.m. Mamoru's mouth opened, but for a few agonizingly long seconds, he said nothing. I currently sat, mentally kicking myself - hard, I might add - for what I had just said.

"W-What?" he finally whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at me.

My own eyes were strangely dry. My damp face was the only sign of my resent tears. The strong odor of alcohol suddenly hit me, making my stomach turn and threaten to rid me of everything in my stomach. Which was really only stomach acid at this point. Mamoru's stutter of words stayed in the air between us, repeating over and over again in my head. When finally I regained control of my limbs, I moved back - pushing myself against the back of the chair, wrapping my arms around my stomach as if to protect my baby from the argument that was sure to follow.

Mamoru tried to clear his throat, his eyes staring at me oddly. "Usa," he finally mumbled. "You know that's - well, it's impossible." He spread his hands out as he spoke, still staring at me with an odd glint.

"Look, I know you won't believe me. I had no intention of telling you this way.."

"This way?" Mamoru all but shouted. He stood up, his voice rising more the longer he spoke. "What way? Look Usa, I don't care to be a father for your child, okay? I care about you that much, I want to be with you that much. But you and I both know this baby is not mine!"

I felt the tears - to my disgust - return to my eyes. I pulled myself into a tighter ball, burning my face in my hands and attempting to disappear. "But it is!" I cried even though I knew he didn't believe me. "In our last life I became pregnant, but then the battle on the Moon happened and I wished on the Crystal for our baby to be reincarnated with us. And now.."

I stopped, noticing the blank expression on Mamoru's face. He had stopped trying to talk and now sat on the couch across the room from me. His focus didn't seem to be on me, but rather through me. I suppose he was seeing his own thoughts - perhaps searching his memories to see if what I said may be true. I bit my bottom lip, waiting for his reaction.

"If what you're saying is true.." he whispered slowly, looking dead into my eyes. "Will you take a paternity test? I am not calling you a liar, but the scientific part of me needs this."

His uncertainty was a welcomed change from his all out rejection of my child. Relief flooded through me. Just as I had needed medical proof that I was pregnant - Mamoru needed proof the child was his. I shook my head yes, trying to stand up. Suddenly the baby felt heavier, pressuring on my pelvic bone. I felt off center, almost like I needed to sit back down and try it again. Placing my hand on the chair arm, I gained the balance I needed to get to my feet. "When do you want to have it done?"

"Ami's mother is an OB-GYN. I'll call Ami and see if her mother can do it for us. I'm sure there should be no problems."

He looked to be attempting to convince himself of that, as well as me. I watched him go into the kitchen to use the phone. While he spoke I looked around the apartment.

What would happen when he found out the baby was his? Would he want me and Shingo to move in here? Would he want us to get married before the baby was born? It felt odd to be thinking about marriage when I was still trying to get used to the idea of so many other things in my life. Did I really want to throw marriage in on top of it? I didn't think I was ready for that. I wasn't ready for a lot of things lately.

"Usa?" I looked up, slightly startled to be so abruptly pulled from my thoughts. Mamoru scratched the back of his neck, smiling at me boyishly. "Ami said to meet her mom at her office in the morning. I'll pick you up at nine, okay?"

I nodded, standing up and walking towards the door slowly. I wanted to say more, I felt like I should be able to make this better. But I could come up with nothing. Mamoru silently followed me, the tension sitting in the air between us. "I guess I'll see you in the morning then," I said after putting my shoes on and opening the door. He said nothing as I went out the door and down the hall. I stopped as I reached the elevator - looking back towards his apartment. His smiling face was still there, staring at me when the doors closed.

* * *

Doctor Minzuno Saeko was a tall, beautiful woman who looked very much like Ami. I had met her once before, only briefly. I felt awkward sitting in front of her now. Ami explained last night that she had already told her mother about being a Sailor Senshi a while ago, so this wasn't necessarily as weird as I felt it was. It didn't stop me from blushing over and over again.

Doctor Minzuno moved back from the door way, her hand waving to indicate two empty chairs sitting in front of her desk. I sat down, Mamoru sitting next to me. She looked at me, as if she could sense all my fears and identify with them. I immediately felt some of the tension run out of my body when she sat down at her desk.

"Tsukino Usagi," she said, moving some papers out from in front of her. "And Chiba Mamoru. Ami tells me that you want to have a paternity test ran on the unborn child?"

I nodded my head, unable to take my eyes from hers while she spoke. She said things so lightly, like she was asking someone how they were doing today. Her blue eyes were so bright, so focused. I was thankful she didn't ask any more questions than she did, thankful that Ami had already told her all she needed. I definitely didn't want to have the entire story laid out again; I was nervous enough. "Okay, what we are going to do is take a sample of fluid from your womb called the amniotic fluid. With the DNA strain we pull from that, we will compare it to a DNA sample we will take from you, Usagi-san. Whatever strains that don't match yours, will need to match Mamoru-san's for him to be the father. Now, usually this takes around four weeks - but I think I maybe able to speed up the process in this case." She sat back, one hand under her chin thoughtfully. "Do you have any questions before we get started?"

I looked at Mamoru, but he just shook his head. Just from the way he held himself, I could tell he was nervous - anxious even. I looked back to Doctor Minzuno. "No, I think we're ready."

As we walked down the hall towards the medical room, Mamoru reached over and took my hand. Smiling, I took strength in the fact that he was by my side. I could do this - we could do this.

Doctor Mizuno had me lay on a medical table, raising my shirt to reveal my swollen stomach. After washing her hands, she turned back towards me with a long needle. I felt a shiver go through my body. Squeezing my eyes closed, I turned away from and her and towards Mamoru. Suddenly I felt fingers brushing against my cheek. I opened one eye, looking up to see Mamoru slightly bent over my head, his breath on my face. His eyes were locked on my stomach, almost memorizing. When our eyes meet, he smiled - his eyes so full of love that it took my breath away.

When Doctor Minzuno had finished, she took DNA samples from mine and Mamoru's mouth and sent it off to lab. When she returned she leaned up against the counter, crossing her arms in front of her. "While you are here, do you want to go ahead and have a routine check up, maybe take a peek at the little one? Ami tells me you haven't been having regular prenatal appointments," she chastised lightly.

I felt my eyes go large. Actually see the baby? I didn't even look to Mamoru for confirmation - immediately I nodded my head.

The cream was clear, oddly looking like jello - and cold. Doctor Minzuno gave me a two second warning before placing the jelly on my stomach. When I inhaled sharply, my eyes widening as my senses picked up the feeling of the cold - she laughed airily. "If I told you any sooner, you would have laid there and dreaded it, ne? Better just to get it over with, I always say."

I nodded, though I didn't feel too much relief from her comment. She placed a hand held machine on my stomach and moved it around for a few moments, searching. I saw movement on the black and white screen it was attached to, but couldn't make out shapes. I looked to Mamo-chan, but he was staring at the screen intensely.

"Have you felt the baby move yet? You probably won't be able to distinguish it from your stomach growling unless you pay close attention. Don't worry, that will change very soon! You are entering the part of your pregnancy where the baby is much more active. Your uterus is growing and you might feel pangs of pain caused by the ligaments stretching in your abdomen." She paused for a moment, studying the screen. "There you are," she said sweetly, pointing to the screen. "There is your baby." Reaching over, she turned a knob on the ultra-sound machine and a sound that resembled a horse running filled the otherwise quiet room. "And that is your baby's heartbeat. Beating about one hundred and fifty-three times a minute, which is perfectly normal."

I couldn't believe my eyes or my ears. I felt tears rise up, and my breath caught in my throat. That small being, inside me, right there on the screen, was my baby. And for the last five months I had been ignoring him or her. Shame filled me, but also determination. I wouldn't ignore her anymore. No matter what, I would be a good mother to this baby. The mother mine had been to me, passed on to her grandchild. The feeling in my heart made a smile break out on my face that I couldn't stop if I wanted to. I felt so much love inside me for this small life. Up until now pregnancy was just a word. I was pregnant, and that was as far as I thought about it. Today would mark a new mile stone in my life and in my heart - the first day I felt love for my child. It was breathtaking.

"She is 17 centimeters, crown to rump," Doctor Minzuno said, clicking on the computer and measuring a line she drew between what looked like the bottom of the baby's spine to the top of it's head.

I gasped, looking at the doctor instead of the screen. "Did you say 'she' ?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't think before I spoke. If you didn't want to know the sex, I'm so sorry!" Doctor Mizuno blushed. "I noted the sex when I first began looking and, forgive me, I wasn't thinking."

A few sparse tears left my eyes as I giggled, looking up at Mamo-chan. "A girl? Wow… and, wait, I've gained ten pounds and she is only 17 centimeters long?!"

"And beautiful," Mamoru replied, still memorized by the image on the screen. I nodded my head, a smile planted firmly on my face as I looked at our baby.

The doctor did more calculations, moving the device around my stomach at different angles, taking measurements of the baby's bones, size of her head and pictures of the four chambers of her heart. Finally she wiped the jelly off my stomach and smiled. "Congratulations, you have a healthy 23 week fetus. Now, I want you to stop by the labs and have some blood drawn and then leave a urine sample as well. Make an appointment with the front desk; I definitely want to see you back next month so we can make sure everything is going well."

Mamoru helped me sit up. "Don't worry, Dr Minzuno, we will be here."

I couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

The crisp February wind blew against my face and neck as I walked to work. My hair blew in waves behind me, the sun picking up the blonde and making it shine when I saw it in front of me. My thoughts kept returning to the day before, at the doctor's office with Mamoru. Even though we hadn't gotten the results of the paternity test yet - Mamoru was every bit the happy father. Something changed in him last month, something that also sparked in me, I believe. No longer did I feel depressed about my pregnancy, or darkened by its meaning. I would make due, and love my child no matter what. Almost in response to my happy mood, my daughter started kicking my stomach.

I hummed as I walked into the arcade, heading upstairs to the Fruit Parlor. Motoki smiled and waved as I bounced by, running to clock in before I was late. Tying my apron around my waist, I headed back out the swinging door and behind the counter. "Konnichi'wa Naru-chan!" I smiled to the young girl whom I often worked shifts with.

"Hello," she replied, wiping her hands on her apron. "How are you feeling today?" She turned away from me, placing a ticket in the machine and ringing up the order. Even as she stayed busy, I knew she was still listening to me and waiting for an answer.

"I'm wonderful," I replied enthusiastically. "I have had this whole load of energy since I woke up this morning. We saw the doctor yesterday, everything looks great. She also said now that I was in my sixth month that I would get some of my old energy back." Grapping a pen and ticket pad out from underneath the counter, I went over to the dry erase board on the wall. "You want counter or floor tonight?"

"Counter!" Naru replied, her short brown hair swishing around her face as she headed to the floor to take the ticket to its own. Beside the word "Counter" on the board, I wrote Naru's name and then drew a small bunny next to "Floor". Looking out across the room, I noted that we weren't too terribly busy - which was odd for a Friday night. Shrugging it off, I walked towards the group who had just came in.

The night that had started out so dull didn't stay that way for very long. Before I knew it we had only one table free and five people in line for it. Leaning against the counter, I brushed my bangs away from my face with my hand. I had turned the air conditioning down twice, but with all the people talking and laughing around me I could feel the sweat dripping off my forehead.

With the added work load time flew by, and before I knew it Naru and I was cleaning tables - only a couple of people at the counter that left not too long afterwards. Putting both hands on the table, I closed my eyes and tried to stretch the muscles in my back. The tips were good tonight, but I was bone tired. Suddenly I felt long fingers massaging into my spine. I moaned softly in pleasure, peeking back to see who was behind me.

"Feel good?" Mamo-chan mumbled in my ear as I leaned back against him.

"Very." I felt his arms slip around my waist and squeeze lightly. The thumping of his heart was in my ear, his breath on my neck. Exhaustion made my eyes close wearily and I wondered what it would be like to stay in these arms all night.

Mamo-chan and I pulled away slightly when we heard footsteps in the room. I relaxed when I heard Naru giggling. "Don't mind me, I'm just finishing up."

"I need to go help her," I told Mamo-chan, lighting kissing his lips. I backed away from him, our eyes never breaking contact.

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs with Shingo," he replied, turning away from me. I walked behind the counter when I heard him call my name. As I turned around he was smiling at me, a strange glint in his eyes that I couldn't identify. "I love you."

Before I could reply he was gone through the door. Smiling to myself, I walked into the kitchen. Naru turned to me, smiling. "You two are so cute!" she exclaimed. "I wish I could get my boyfriend to act like that..." she sighed wistfully and began washing trays down again."You are so lucky."

The pain Dr. Mizuno had warned me about was worse in my lower stomach after working a busy shift. I picked my rag up and walked into the lobby and began taking apart the coke machine and cleaning it. After standing for so long, I felt like I would collapse any minute. Lucky, she says? I wasn't feeling it at the moment, but I knew she was right. I was very lucky to have my family.

On the way home that night Shingo fell asleep in the backseat. Mamo-chan and I had discussed Shingo and I sleeping over, but hadn't really came to a decision until we heard the soft snoring of my young brother in the backseat.

Using Mamo-chan's cell phone, I called Makoto and told her not to expect me in tonight. Thankfully, she said she would explain to Luna. I cringed at the thought of my feline guardian's reaction. But, then again, Luna had spent most of her time lately with Artemis - supposedly "discussing" the enemy. I knew better if I knew Luna.

With a huge ear to ear smile, Mamo-chan pulled the car into the garage and parked. Shingo barely opened his eyes when Mamo- chan picked him up and carried him to his apartment. Putting my little brother in the spare bedroom we tucked him into bed and the shut the door.

For an odd moment I had no idea what to do; what to say. Appearing equally as nervous - Mamo-chan went into the kitchen. He fished through the cabinets, pulling out cups. I followed him, sitting down at the table while he fixed us both a cup of hot tea.

"So, um, how are you feeling?" His nervous air did nothing for my own nerves.

Quickly I tried to think of an answer that may make both of us feel a little easier. "Well," I began, staring into my cup of tea and then at him. "I go through periods of being extremely tired to extremely energetic. And then there's also the feeling of having a small watermelon lying on my pelvic bone twenty-four hours a day." I laughed at the expression on his face, which in turn caused him to smile. "Otherwise it's a wonderful feeling to be carrying our child."

For reasons I couldn't explain at the moment, Mamo-chan's expression changed. I wondered what I had said wrong and connected it to the fact that we had not gotten the paternity test results yet. But since last month at the doctor he had seemed so suddenly at ease with my pregnancy. I bit my bottom lip and watched my beloved stand and go to the counter to pour another cup of tea. When he turned back to me, I found I couldn't take my eyes from his intense stare.

"Usako, I've been thinking about what we should do." When I gave him a blank stare, he motioned towards my stomach. "About the baby. About us." Oh no, my mind screamed. Here it comes. I had no earthly idea what 'it' was - but the feeling in my gut said it couldn't be any good when the conversation was on such a serious note. I just stared at him as he crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. "I think it would be in the best interest of all of us if you and Shingo moved in here with me."

I continued to stare at him until the words finally made sense in my slightly over stimulated mind. Relief, like a dam bursting, flooded over me. Mamo-chan sat down at the table across from me, taking my hands in his. "Now don't say anything. Just hear me out. I'm not proposing marriage - yet. Unless you want to, because I will marry you some day. For now, just some stability in our future. Shingo, I think, would be happier if he had two parent figures. And I want to be here for every second of your pregnancy. I don't make a ton of money, but I make enough to provide for all of us without struggle. We could turn the spare bedroom into a bedroom for Shingo and the baby..."

Suddenly I began giggling. Mamo-chan stopped, looking at me oddly. The way he babbled on about this made him appear like a child with a new toy. His eyes were bright with excitement. "How long have you been planning this, Chiba Mamoru?" I asked when finally I could catch my breath from his frequent change of subjects.

He gave me a lopsided grin and blushed (very adorably, by the way), looking at our joined hands. "Well, since the first time we saw Dr. Mizuno." When he meet my eyes again, there was the smallest trace of sadness in them. "I don't remember my parents very much, they died when I was young. I've never had a family, anyone to care for. I want us both to be here for our child like my parents couldn't be for me. I want to be here for you, during everything you experience. I want to be here for Shingo, he needs a family, too."

I felt the tears in my eyes. I heard the longing in his voice, the love and need. Without thinking I jumped up and hugged him. His arms encircled my waist as he brought me down to sit on his lap. "Don't worry love," I soothed. "You have a family now and we aren't going anywhere." I felt years wiser in that kitchen. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, kissing his cheek. His strong arms encircled me, squeezing me to him. For the longest time we sat, holding each other. I felt myself opening the idea of the new family we could all have. My previous family was taken away from me, but I had a new one and I was thankful.

* * *

Contrary to what I thought may happen - Mamo-chan and I only slept in each other's arms that night. As I was putting on one of his shirts to wear as a night gown, he asked me what I wanted. Unsure, I admitted that I wasn't ready to add a physical relationship into everything else in my life. Not hesitating for a second, Mamo-chan slipped his arms around my waist and hugged me; reassuring me it was perfectly okay. "I just want to make you happy."

So that night I stayed curled up against his chest - discussing baby names. "I like the name Keri," I announced after saying and then rejecting several names in a row.

The only light in the room was that which shone through the sheers on the window. For the first time in months I was completely comfortable. Not once did being a princess cross my mind, nor saving the universe. Mamo-chan's hand rubbed small circles on my stomach as I continued to rattle on. Occasionally our daughter would kick or move around and Mamoru's hand would still over that area, his face glowing. "Do you have any ideas?" I asked him when he said nothing.

"Usagi."

I looked at him, slightly puzzled. "Nani?" I questioned, wondering why he hadn't addressed me by the pet name bestowed on me almost immediately after we meet.

He leaned up, propping his head on his hand and looking down at me. I felt a blush creep up my neck and to my cheeks at his intense stare. It turned even brighter when he explained. "I want to name her Usagi. After the most wonderful, beautiful woman in the world." He then reached down, placing his lips on mine softly. "No objections, I hope?"

Shaking my head no, I buried my self in his arms and started to say something when a tingling feeling of dread and fear ran up my spine. My eyes widen, causing Mamo-chan to become alert. Immediately my thoughts when to Shingo, but before I could voice my mind we heard a scream.

"MAMA! HELP ME!"

I don't remember getting out of the bed, or going to Shingo's room. Mamo-chan went in ahead of me, bursting through the door and searching for the problem. The room was empty, save for Shingo lying on the bed tossing and turning. His arms struck out at the empty air, tears running down his face as he let another howl of terror rise from his throat. From one side of the bed Mamo-chan held Shingo's arms down so that he didn't accidentally hit my stomach as he thrashed about. Shaking him, I tried to wake him up from the nightmare. He squirmed, fighting both Mamo-chan and I - but not waking up.

"Usako," Mamo-chan said gruffly, his voice demanding. "Go get a cup of cold water and pour it over him." I began to shake my head no when Shingo forced on of his arms loose and stuck Mamo-chan in the nose. At the sight of the blood I began to whimper. "Hurry Usako. It's the only way," Mamo-chan insisted. "He's needs to wake up. He might hurt himself."

As fast as my legs would take me, I ran down the hall and into the kitchen. Looking around frantically I realized I had no idea where the cups were. Instead of stalling any longer, I began flinging cabinet doors open, crying harder every time I heard Shingo scream for our mother - and then for me. Finally I found the cups and filled one full of cold water. Running back to the bedroom I stood above my screaming brother and closed my eyes before pouring it over his face.

Abruptly the room went quiet. Mamo-chan let go of Shingo's arms and they fell to his sides limply. Quickly his eyes opened and he chocked, sitting up and coughing. He looked at Mamo-chan, then at me, confused for a moment, wiping water off his face with his shirt sleeve. "Usagi, why did you pour water on me?" he asked, seemingly totally ignorant to why we were even in his room. His eyes stayed on Mamo-chan a bit longer. "Why is your nose bleeding?"

Mamo-chan and my eyes met briefly. Shingo looked back and forth between us, confused. How could he not remember anything? Not even a trace of the situation was evident in Shingo's features. Mamo-chan went to the bathroom, coming back with a towel. Quietly he dried Shingo's face, neck and hair. I continued to stare at my brother - dumbfounded.

"You.. you was having a nightmare. Do you not remember?"

Shingo shook his head no, reaching up and wiping a tear off my face. "Did I make you cry?" he asked solemnly.

I looked to Mamo-chan for help, but he looked as helpless as I felt. I reached over, brushing a strain of hair away from his eyes. "You need a hair cut," I mumbled, unthinking. Suddenly everything hit me - the fear in his voice, the urgency, his arms swinging about trying to protect himself because I couldn't. Shingo stared at me worriedly when the tears started again in earnest. I pulled him into a hug. Shingo moaned slightly - sounding in pain. "What's wrong?" I demanded, terrified.

"I hurt all over," he mumbled in my shirt, snuggling more into my embrace.

Mamo-chan came over to our side of the bed and felt Shingo's forehead. "He feels a little warm. Hey buddy," he took Shingo from my arms and stood up. "Do you want to sleep with us?"

Shingo nodded his head sleepily, lying on Mamo-chan's shoulder. Wiping the tears of frustration and fear from my face, I followed them into Mamo-chan's room. After Shingo fell asleep, Mamo-chan moved him over on the other side of the bed. I gave him a questioning look as he tucked him in. "Just incase he has another nightmare I want him away from you and the baby," Mamo-chan explained softly.

As softly as I could I pulled Shingo's shirt up and searched for more bruises, or any indication of why he would be sore. I found nothing but the healing bruises from before. Finally I laid down, snuggling up to Mamo-chan and laying my head on his chest, thinking. I was terrified of what I had seen. Shingo had looked possessed as he lashed out at his nightmare. I prayed it was only a dream - some fiction in the small mind of a six year old - but something told me different.

After listening to Mamo-chan and Shingo snore softly for hours - I finally fell into a - thankfully - dreamless sleep.

* * *

The warm rays of the sun greeted me the next morning. I laid still, basking in the knowledge that when I opened my eyes I would see Mamo-chan laying beside me. I thought about his proposal last night, telling me he wanted us to move in. I could wake up every morning with the love of my life beside me. it was a wonderful thought. I couldn't wait to open my eyes and see his handsome face next to mine. Goes to show how much I know.

Slowly I turned over and, with a smile on my face, opened my eyes and saw... an empty bed.

Confused, I sat up and looked around the bedroom. Empty. "Okay," I mumbled to the baby in my womb as I got up. "Let's go see if we can find your papa." It didn't take long - all I had to do was follow the sounds of Shingo's giggling and the occasional deep laugh of Mamo-chan. I peeked around the corner into the living room. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by empty breakfast plates and cups - was Mamo-chan and Shingo playing a racing game on the Nintendo.

"I'm going to beat you!" Shingo exclaimed, moving the controller about in the air as if it were helping him go faster.

"Not today!" Mamo-chan replied, laughing. "I am the master of this game!"

Holding my hand over my mouth to keep from giggling out-loud, I walked up to the two on the floor. "Master, huh?" I asked, seemingly impressed. "I bet I could beat you both," I stated, smiling at them.

Mamo-chan's attention left the screen to smile up at me, and the room immediately was loud with the sound of Shingo screaming his victory. "Hey!" my beloved protested, standing up and hugging me. "I was being distracted by a beautiful woman!"

"Not my problem," Shingo retorted, grinning from ear to ear. "I still won."

"Alright, kiddo, you won." Mamo-chan reverted his attention back to me, pulled me closer to his firm chest and kissing my nose softly. "How are my two favorite people in the world doing this morning?" He glanced at his watch. "Or should I say this afternoon?"

I giggled, inhaling his invigorating scent. "We are hungry."

"Why don't that surprise me?" he replied, winking. "You sit down, and I'll make you a plate. After breakfast maybe we can move your stuff over here?"

I nodded, smiling. I watched him disappear into the kitchen and I walked over to the balcony. Sliding the glass door back, I stepped outside and let the warming air brush against my face. From twelve stories up, the city was beautiful. The sounds of the city below floated up to my ears, filling my mind with a peaceful calm.

But it was times like these that my mind had time to go over my life - retract, and think about stuff that I didn't need to be thinking of. A haunting image of Shingo, his arms swinging out madly in the air, forced itself into my mind's eye. My parents; lying dead atop each other. The eerie image of the words, scribbled in my parent's fresh blood on the wall. Fleeing, into the arms of destiny. Headlong into a country I hadn't stepped in since I was the tender age of two. Mamo-chan, and the period before I knew who he was. Searching for my guardians, the heartache deep in my chest when I first realized I had died. And the latest trial added into the mess called my life - my pregnancy.

I had often wondered how much the human mind could take, how many blows could be added on top of blows before one just couldn't take it anymore. I hoped I never found out. For now, I would cope. Go on, fight, thrive, live and win. Over all, except for my own personal crisis's, it had been peaceful. Aside from the occasional youma attack, I just lived my life. I settled in my new town, my new job, my new life. I got comfortable. Too comfortable. I should have known, I should have kept the image of my parent's death fresh in my mind, never letting it fade. I knew what the enemy was capable of, and that fact should have never, never faded from my memory. They had found me once, ripping my life to shreds. It was only a matter of time before they found me again.

An unearthly, shrill scream rose above the sounds of the city - blocking out every other thought in my mind. It was followed by many other screams, and the people on the road below began running in all directions - without purpose, without destination. Away. Far away from where they were.

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. They scrambled, and my fear filled eyes rose towards the heavens where I saw the object of their terror. My mouth dropped open, my hands clutching the rail with a such a force that my knuckles turned white and ached. I paid it no heed to the pain as I stared at the sky.

"Oh, my God," I whispered, unable to take my eyes from the once clear blue sky. I couldn't move, the only thing that responded to the commands of my brain was my voice. There was an explosion, and I felt the scream release from my throat.

"MAMO-CHAN!"

 **-End Chapter 8.**

In case anyone was mistaken, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. I do own a POS laptop, an ipad and a phone. Everything else the kids own ^^;

You will begin to hate cliffhangers from me, I'm sorry but not sorry enough to stop. Right now it's ok because I'm just revising this story and it's coming out quickly. When that ends and I only update once a week I feel the death threats may begin again. It's been about 13 years since I've gotten any good death threats, I must just be missing them ^_^;

I glanced back at previous chapters and realized that this website is deleting the link to the Sailor Moon website I have been posting. So I'm trying this again: for the best place I have found to read manga (all of them!) and watch Sailor Moon Crystal, type in this link: www dot sailormoon dot xyz

God Bless!  
Beth


	9. Unearthed Terrors

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally Released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 9 - Unearthed Terrors**

I stood immobile, my hands seemingly glued to the banister. Fear made my blood run cold, and a shiver ran up my spine and seemed to settle into my bones. Before my very eyes came scenes the likes I had could never have imagined. Nothing in my worst nightmares or expectations could have come close to what was before me.

"Usako...! oh, my God." Mamo-chan was beside me in mere seconds. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw his own eyes grow with disbelief. He stood beside me for the longest time, watching. Suddenly another explosion shook the Earth, even the banister under my tight grip vibrated. I held on tighter, afraid the entire building would collapse.

Flying shards of glass, building material and other objects seem to rise from the Earth's surface and take flight. The sound of shattering glass filled my ears, blocking out every thought and every other sound. The front door slammed in, Senshi filling the room. I didn't have time to think about what was happening. I could hear the shouting around me, the urgency in the Senshi's voices and Mamo-chan directing everyone.

In what felt like seconds, rather than minutes, Tuxedo Kamen had me tucked safely against his chest and we was fleeing with the rest of the city.

What little I could see from my position blurred past. Colors and shapes bleeding into one another until there was nothing but a continuing color. My head felt light; I could hear people shouting, pain filled screams rising above the city. Panic laced every voice; every breath in my body was difficult. I felt something hit my head and suddenly the darkness came, claiming me as another of its own.

I awoke to arguing voices. I sat up slowly, testing my newfound awareness. I didn't recognize the room I was in - but I did know the voices. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Jupiter were standing over a computer, pointing to different things and talking back and forth in heated tones. Because of their voice levels I couldn't tell what they were saying, but Jupiter turned around, her fingers pressed into her forehead as she spoke again.

I removed the wet cloth from my forehead, noticing that it seemed to be lightly stained with blood. Feeling my forehead, I imagined the bump there might have something to do with it. I sat up, preparing to stand up when I realized that Shingo was sleeping on the floor in front of the couch I was laying on. Stepping over him I walked towards the Senshi, coming towards them I heard Uranus talking again.

"I know where it came from, but I'm telling you it's not based there. That is just stupid. If it was that easy, would we have not located the enemy long ago?" Uranus' index finger was planted firmly on the computer screen, the pressure of it causing her nail bed to turn white.

"But that is just the point Mercury was trying to make earlier. They base their energy out of this point here," Jupiter said slowly, as if she were repeating this for the umpteenth time for a whining child who refused to listen. She jabbed her finger on the screen. "There is no way they could be based anywhere else in the city and still be close enough to set off those explosions without harming their own base. If they was underneath it all - instead of on the blunt end of it - they could have pulled it off."

Their words seem to swim through my head, each making it's self known one at a time. Explosion... Enemy... Base... In the background of my thoughts the terror in people's voices came back hauntingly. The glass breaking... I blinked my eyes, pushing all of that aside as I strode up to the two Senshi with calmness that I never would have guessed I had in me. I still wasn't sure I did.

"What's going on?" I asked in a somewhat accusing tone.

I was their Princess, I should have been told what was happening instead of being packaged and carried away like some piece of meat. I expected this of Mamo-chan, he was the tiniest bit prone to over doing it when it came to protecting me. But from my guardians I expected more. I tried to understand their motives, but still felt shunned instead of informed. In either case, I was fully awake now and becoming impatience as both Uranus and Jupiter seemed to have lost their voices when they realized they weren't alone.

Jupiter found her voice first, throwing a look that I couldn't identify towards Uranus as she turned to me. I crossed my arms; waiting for answers to the question I wasn't sure I wanted the answers to. "Remember the attack that Ami had predicted a couple of months ago? Well, she might have been wrong about the time frame, but she was right in thinking it was going to happen. About 9:42 a.m. a strange glow began in the Tokyo Towers. Over the recording we took off the scanner we picked up that some policemen were going over there to check it out. At 10:02a.m. they arrived. What they found left grown men speechless when they came back across their radios. The Outer Senshi," here Jupiter snarled lightly, motioning with disgust towards Sailor Uranus. "Took it upon themselves to go over to the Towers without notifying one of us to what was happening."

"That's bull! We don't have to check in with the peanut gallery every time we make a move!" Uranus said quickly, her voice dangerously low. She stepped towards Jupiter, her fist clinched.

Without thinking I stepped between the two taller women. Narrowing my eyes, I turned to Uranus and in a voice that didn't sound even remotely like my own, I stared her down. "Just lay off of it, Uranus. Put your differences aside just this once. Because it don't matter who done what, who has been around longer or who is the oldest. We are all fighting for our lives and the lives of millions of people on this planet. It wasn't my choice, yours or Jupiter's to have this responsibility thrown at us. But we have it and I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to your superiority complex in the mist of an emergency. We are _all_ Sailor Senshi, it's time we _all_ started acting like it."

I could have sworn I saw a flash of respect glint for just a second in Uranus' eyes. I couldn't be sure, it was then that she turned around and walked out of the room, slamming her fist in the wall on the way out.

I turned back towards Jupiter, flames still in my gaze. She seemed to have had something to say - but changed her mind when she met my eyes. Instead she turned back towards the computer screen. "Anyways, when the police tried to gain access to the building, it exploded."

"And not just a little explosion," another voice interrupted. I looked around in time to see Luna jump up on the table and sit next to the computer. She placed her paw on the mouse, clicking on different pictures until a map was on the screen. It simulated the building exploding and the chain effect from there. She stared at the screen as if her eyes still didn't believe what they had seen just this very morning. Artemis - whom I hadn't even known was in the room up to this point - began explaining what had happened. "The force of the blast itself was large enough to take out everything in a two mile radius. But it was being controlled, by the enemy we suspect. Buildings caught on fire, windows shattered for miles in all directions. But the energy disappeared just as quickly as it had come, like it was sucked back down into the hull of the ruins of Tokyo Towers. Mamoru-san's apartment was close enough to the blast that all the windows in the building were shattered, but that was the only damage. Buildings that were closer to the Tower were leveled. The city is in a panic."

"W...Where is Mamo-chan?" I asked weakly, my hands shaking. Images of fires, sounds of screaming people. A flood of emotions filled my brain - but mostly terror. I was scared down to the bone, cold and scared. "Where is everyone?"

Jupiter stared at me, her fist clinching and unclenching at her side. Fear nailed me to the floor, leaving me speechless and feeling like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my body. My bottom lip started to tremble slightly and my hands shook even as I drew them to my side. My eyes traveled to the three in front of me, no one opening their mouth to speak. Against my will a small sob rose in my chest and escaped my mouth. Faster and faster my eyes dashed to look at the two felines, then Jupiter. No one said a word. Nothing. The silence was deafening, endless. My parched dry lips parted to release a scream, a message embedded in it.

"WHERE?"

"We were ordered not to tell you, or to let you leave," Jupiter whispered, her green eyes swimming in emotions that tore her apart. Sense of duty or friendship - the struggle was hard. Her eyes focused on mine until she couldn't handle the pain anymore and looked away. I couldn't believe my ears; ordered? By Mamo-chan? He would do that, a part of my mind reasoned. He doesn't want you hurt. But damn it, my other reasoning argued, you are the Princess and Sailor Moon and have a right to be with the other Senshi.

It took a moment for my body to respond to the orders my brain was giving. Finally I felt my feet move and I turned towards the door. A slim, uncertain hand reached out, grabbing my arm. "Usagi-chan, I can't let you go," Jupiter nearly whispered.

"You are in no position to stop me," I replied, yanking my arm from her grasp and once more walking towards the door. I pulled my locket out and fingered it as I made my way across the room and to the doorway. "Luna, Artemis - stay here with Shingo and keep us informed if you find anything new about the enemy."

"Our communicators rely on the same antenna as that of television and radios," Luna deadpanned. "Once you walk out that door, I have no way to contact you since Tokyo Towers is nothing but ashes."

I made no reply, just pulled the locket above my head and closed my eyes. Again I felt a hand on my arm, almost painfully Jupiter tried to pull the locket from my grasp. "You aren't just making decisions about yourself anymore, Princess," Jupiter said quickly, her eyes once more locked with my own determined gaze. "You have a child to think about, if you get hurt the least that may happen is to hurt the baby. And it's not just your baby - it's also Mamoru-san's."

"Don't you think I know that?" I accused, yanking my hand away from her and stepping back. I looked at the floor for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. When I looked back up, whatever it was Jupiter saw in my eyes made her step backwards. "I'm going. Either you are with me," I paused, pounding each word into the air to get across their full meaning and nothing less, "or you aren't."

Jupiter's eyes stayed locked with my own as I pulled the crystal above my head and shouted my transformation. When the lights died down, I turned and started up the steps that would lead me above ground. For a moment I didn't think she would follow, and pushed aside the meaning that it held in my heart. A second before I opened the door that would lead me into the arcade, I heard Jupiter. "Shimatta*," she grunted, followed by her footsteps as she ran up the staircase.

What I saw outside the confinements of the underground room would haunt me for the rest of my life. As the chamber to the Sailor V game** opened, allowing us to pass I tried not to think about what would be on the outside. But as I stepped out, my foot crunching on glass shards that lay everywhere - I looked up and gasped. The shock of seeing lingering black smoke in the once blue sky, cars toppled over and burning, people walking aimlessly down the middle of the street, looking around in shock, my stomach turned and my heart felt sick.

I tried to hide my reaction from Jupiter, but failed miserably. She walked up beside me as I moved through the doorway that once held glass to protect the inside from nature's elements. Nothing but shards of glass remained now. Covering my mouth with my hand, I looked up and down the city street. What my eyes took in was nearly indescribable.

The street wasn't even distinguishable from the sidewalk. And the people, the blank stares on their faces. The horror, the heartache. The death. It smelled of death, of destruction. A young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, was tearing through debris - tears streaking down her face. As we approached her, she looked up and me and a light of recognition seem to flicker in her deep hazel pupils. Her slim hands reached out towards me, as if for help, and her features crumbled up in agony. "Doushite?***" she cried pitifully. "Doushite...?"

I felt a sob rise in my throat and I stepped back. Jupiter stepped in front of me, grasping the woman's hands in her own. "Shhhh, it's okay. We are here to help. Are you looking for someone?"

The woman numbly shook her head, looking down at her blood stained hands and then at Jupiter. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I don't know..." The amazon Senshi easily pulled the woman to her feet and helped her inside the arcade and sat her down. She said something to her that I couldn't hear and then rejoined me.

From down the street the racing of a fire engine's horn burst through the quiet - echoing through out the street. Closer and closer it came until it passed, red lights flashing until it was gone around a corner. Jupiter watched it go before she began walking down the street in the same direction it had taken. "Most of the fires are out now, but some are still lingering and causing some threat to nearby homes. Mercury and Neptune helped put most of them out when this first happened."

"I don't remember much, just flashes of lights and sounds of screaming. What happened? How long was I out?" My eyes burned from the smoke that lay so thick in the air. "Mamoru-san wrapped you as best he could in his cape to keep you from getting hurt. But so much stuff was flying through the air from the force of the blast that a piece of something - I'm not sure what - hit you just the right way to knock you out cold. Ami assured us that you were alright, maybe even for the best that you had passed out at the time. That was about two hours ago."

In just two short hours the city, the lives of hundreds and thousands of people, had been changed forever. I felt numb. We cut across an alleyway, entering another street. The scene was the same - death, smoke and destruction. I felt the sweet taste of vomit lingering in my throat and I tried to swallow it back. Thank God my baby was still protected in my womb, I would hate for such a scene to ever be seen by her eyes. It was my duty to see that it never did. We pressed on through the debris and towards the remains of Tokyo Towers.

I could hear voices shouting back and forth to each other as we approached. Above it all, one voice stood out among the frenzy. I rushed forward, leaving Jupiter to follow in my steps. Standing slightly away from the still burning building was Tuxedo Kamen, talking to a fire fighter and pointing in different directions as he spoke. I ran as fast as my legs would take me, towards him. Towards the promise of his embrace and comfort that I so desperately wanted; needed. I was a Princess, a Sailor Senshi - but most of all, I was a frightened six month pregnant woman who needed a string of security to hold on to.

It was like Mamo-chan could sense my presence. He looked my direction, looking slightly surprised to see me running towards him. When I reached him his arms opened and eagerly I buried my face in the warmth and comfort of his love. I barely heard him ask the firefighter to excuse him as he led me away from the building. "Usako," he asked, his arms encircled around me tightly. "What are you doing here?"

Suddenly I found I couldn't speak, couldn't think about anything but my own fears and anxiety. Mamoru soothed me, hugging me tightly to his chest. Now that I knew he was okay I felt some of my strength renew itself. "I'm sorry, Mamo-chan. I can't just sit around while you and everyone do everything. I want to protect this planet by your side." I inhaled his scent to keep me from drowning in the chaos around me. In response to my shaking body, Mamo-chan tipped my chin up towards his, grazing his fingers along my cheekbone before kissing me lightly. I struggled to be the independent girl I was five months ago, the head-strong Princess that didn't need her guardians or a love. But I couldn't find that girl anymore. I wondered if she was real, or just an illusion I made up while trying to cope with everything that had been thrown at me.

It didn't really matter. What mattered to me was here and now. And I needed Mamoru to hold me, and he answered my needs with the same intensity that I yearned for. The world was blazing around us, and I could forget all I had seen for a few precious moments in time. I had the strength to block out the screams of pain and agony - if only for a minute.

"I didn't want you to be here, Usako," Mamo-chan reprimanded lightly when our lips parted. His voice was barely a whisper in the wind to my ears, but the worry that laced it caused my heart to jump in alarm. I looked up into his stormy blue eyes, flicking with worry and pain that I was in any distress at all. "I know you want to protect this planet, and I know how badly you want to protect your friends, but I need your to be protected. Usako, I need to know that you and our baby are all right."

"Gomen nasai." The emotions in Mamo-chan's eyes were a mix between worry and relief. I couldn't imagine what he had to be relived about - unless it was that I was here where he could protect me. I was soon to find out that my dashing hero, my love, couldn't protect me from all the evil in the world that was after me. It was a lesson both of us would learn the hard way.

"It's okay, Usako," he assured me, burying his face in my hair. "I just didn't want you to see all of this. To be haunted by the images. I was only trying to protect you from it. But I guess it was a lost cause - you are too pure and caring to stay locked up when you could be helping. Just do me a favor?" I nodded my head, willing to give him anything in the world at that moment just to take the nervous edge and urgency out of his eyes. "Be careful, I don't want anything to happen to either one of you."

I meet his eyes squarely, his desperate plea calling out to me. What would he do if something did happen to me or the baby? I wondered. Since the night we spent on the beach, the confessions he had made had me wondering just how much he needed me. I could only hope it was as much as I needed him. "Don't worry, Mamo-chan," I assured him. "My henshin provides a protective barrier around the baby. And I'll be extra careful for both of us."

"Be careful for all three of us," he asked softly, his fingers still grazing my face while his other arm held on to me like a man drowning. "Because I don't know what I would do without you."

"Sailor Moon? What are you doing here?" I turned around, face to face with a rather angry looking Sailor Mars. Her hands were on her hips as she waited for my response.

"I tried to stop her," Jupiter said matter-of-factly from my left. Oh yeah, I thought. Speak up for yourself, and not for me. Don't I feel special.

The sound of urgent voices stopped the conversation all together. We all turned towards the debris, the final standing column of the Tokyo Tower building crumbled - falling towards the Earth. People who had been closest to the building were running towards us, motioning and screaming to get out of the way. Mamo-chan took off running, his hand still holding mine securely. We stopped yards away when we could no longer out run the smoke - Mamo-chan covering me with his cape.

"Hiroshi-kun!" a man called out, looking around frantically through the small patches of people who were running from the building. He ran towards us, grabbing Tuxedo Kamen's arm and screaming as he pointed towards the building. "My best friend is still in there!" he screamed, pointing and yanking on Tuxedo Kamen's arm frantically. "You have to help him!"

Mamo-chan grabbed my arms, squeezing almost painfully. "Stay here," he commanded, not leaving me a chance to answer - much less argue the point. I watched as my love and my best friends ran into the cloud of dust, praying they came out alive.

Clutching my mid-section, I stared at the lingering smoke that filled the air. It traveled upwards into the heavens for what seemed an eternity. I felt a sob clutch at my throat, but I pushed it back. Time seemed to standstill. The harder I wished to see Mamo-chan's form run out of the smoke, the longer it seemed he had been gone.

Seconds became minutes, minutes ticked by painfully slow. Beside me was the man who had cried for our help. He seemed to be staring at me, rather than in the collapsing building. I tried to look away, but it was as if he were commanding me to stare at him. I opened my mouth to make an excuse to leave him there when I saw him take something from behind his back.

"Hello Princess," he said. I blinked at him blankly, his words not making any sense in my jumbled thoughts. Suddenly he pulled a white cloth into my viewing and shoved it over my mouth, pulling me towards him as he did so. I struggled against him, not understanding until I seen his eyes flash bright red. Unable to hold my breath any longer, I inhaled. A fiery sensation shot down my throat, invading my lungs. My vision blurred and I stumbled forward, my legs no longer supporting. The disguised youma picked me up as if I weighed no more than a bag of feathers and threw me over his shoulder. I tried to fight him, but my limbs refused to listen. Drugged, I thought. He must have drugged me with something. But what?

I couldn't think. I could do nothing as darkness loomed in front of me, cradling my aching head and taking away the pain.

I awoke in small intervals. For a long time I could hear voices speaking, but couldn't stay aware long enough to open my eyes and see their owners faces. Pain came and went, sometimes stronger than other times. In and out of consciousness I slipped until finally the haze that had kept me in it's confinements broke away. I blinked, the room had a hazy quality to it - almost surreal. The voices suddenly stopped - making me wonder if I had dreamt it all.

Perhaps when I opened my eyes I would be in Mamoru's bed - safely tucked against his side. I feverishly hoped and prayed - but knew the truth all the same.

The first thing that caught my attention was how dark everything was. The walls were a deep gray, almost black, and the bed I laid on was covered in black bedding. On the small table that sat beside the bed was a lamp, with a black shade. The light that radiated from it was a dusty stream of yellow - almost nonexistent. The small glow bathed the room in shadows. My imagination took flight, making everything in the bottomless corners come alive. I stifled a scream, pulling the blanket up to my chin and shutting my eyes. "Mamo-chan," I moaned, almost crying. "Onegai..."

"Your precious Mamo-chan can't help you here."

My fears came alive when I realized I wasn't alone. A small scream left my throat before I had time to try and stop it. Shutting my mouth abruptly, I moved closer to the head board of the bed. The woman at the end of the bed came closer, the light casting on her fiery red hair and slanted evil eyes.

"Who are you?" I meant for it to come out demanding, but fear made my voice crack against my will.

"Why child," the woman said, coming around to the side of the bed and looking down at me in pity. "You don't remember me? Why, I was a big part of your life as a Princess." I stared at her, but in my terrified state I couldn't think. "I'm Queen Beryl. I destroyed your kingdom so long ago."

I blinked rapidly, shaking my head in denial. This wasn't happening! my mind screamed. "My mother killed you..." I whispered, my eyes so wide that it hurt.

"Now you see," Beryl said thoughtfully, running her fingers through her long red hair. "That's where you are wrong. Your mother sent everyone to the future so that you could live, dear. Everyone." The irony of her statement made my blood run cold. It seemed that my mother's wish made more than a few complications in my life. The latest one being rather dangerous, it seemed.

I tried to sit up, get a grip on my emotions and move away. But none of this happened. Instead I found myself staring at this mad woman as she reached out and ran her hand over my stomach. "How's the little one? Well, I hope."

Her eyes homed in on my own gaze with a steely edge that made me want to scream to the top of my lungs, and shiver away with shame at the same time. "Ah yes, the child you will bare. She will be very special, did you know that?" I shook my head, fearful of her words. "Yes. And do you know why? Because tonight my ruler will enter your womb and steal your baby's soul and replaced it with hers."

I felt my head shaking back and forth, my arms encircling my stomach as I rocked back and forth. "No..." I whimpered. So afraid, so scared of what she intended to do.

"Oh yes, she will. And in three months you will give birth to the new ruler of this universe. You see," she explained calmly, as if speaking to a child. "My queen doesn't have a body, your mother destroyed it. So it would be just fit if you were to provide her with one. And after you give birth, if you are good and don't cause me any problems, I will see that you live unhappily in the deepest darkest dungeon I have. Just like your mother sealed me away in the center of the Earth over one-thousand years ago."

"You're insane!" I spat, finally regaining some control over my voice. I glared at her with all the hatred I could muster up, determined that nothing would happen to mine and Mamo-chan's baby. Nothing. "I'll never let you touch my baby!" I shouted.

She seemed amused by my vocal outbursts. She stood up, a smile on her face. Her words went straight to my heart and drove a hole of pain there. I gapped at her, tears filling my eyes and flowing un-noticed down my face. "I already have."

-End Chapter 9.

* - Shimatta translates to "Damn"

**- The Sailor V game in the manga was the passage way to a room under the arcade where Luna had computers that were hooked up to the Moon's computer system.

***- Doushite translates to "Why"

This chapter is much shorter than previous ones, sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better, I'm getting these out as fast as I can. If I don't get ready for work soon, though, I will be late and that won't be good.

Thank you for the reviews, comments, etc. I'm so happy at how many people are reading and following! Thank you soooo much! Please drop me a line and let me know your thoughts on the story, I love getting thoughts from different perspectives!

God bless,  
Beth


	10. Like Mother, Like Daughter

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 10 - Like mother, like daughter**

There was a hard reality that I had to face in the hours to come. Somewhere in the last five months I had come to rely on Tuxedo Kamen. Always - even when we weren't speaking - he was there, in the shadows. Continuously waiting to help me if the need should arise. If I so much as slipped, his hands were always there, always ready to catch me. If I needed more power, he was there, freely giving.

So in the first couple of hours after my capture, I just knew that Mamo-chan would find me. I waited anxiously to see his face, watch him burst through the door and sweep me off to safety like so many times before. The hours ticked by like years to me. I stared for so long at the door - at the guard that forever stood like a statue next to it - that a couple of times I imagined Mamo-chan coming through it. But when I blinked, the guard stood again and nothing had changed.

Five hours into my imprisonment, I became worried. Surely Beryl must have captured him - nothing else would keep him from me. I feverishly prayed he was alright. When someone came to my prison to bring my dinner, I picked at it thoughtlessly. He said nothing for a while, just stood beside my other guard in the shadows of my prison and watched me stare at my own thoughts. When I had forgotten to take a bite for several minutes, he approached me nervously. "Miss, if you don't eat the Queen will be very upset. It isn't good for the child for you to not have anything in your stomach."

Blankly I looked at him, tears caught him my eyelashes that made everything appear hazy. Depression nagged at my soul. The blind optimism I had placed in my dashing hero was failing. I was never so frightened in my life. My body began trembling uncontrollably and I felt cold, a deep cold that invaded my body down to my bones. Please hurry, I repeated over and over again in my mind. Please Mamo-chan.

From the best I could tell, I had been sitting in this room nearly eight hours when suddenly the door to my cell flew open. Expectantly, my eyes full of hope; I looked to see who was entering. Queen Beryl stepped through, her heels clicking like gunshots as she stepped to the bed. "Good evening, Princess. Still waiting for your Prince to save you?" She gave a thin, silly laugh and I rolled my eyes.

But it occurred to me then that I had been so sure - so confident that Mamo-chan would save me that I hadn't even thought of what would happen if he didn't. Roughly the guard who had stood in the corner of my prison yanked me off the bed and we started out of the room. The halls were damp and cold. Occasionally we passed a torch on the wall; otherwise the walls were bare stone. A chill ran up my spine as a draft from ahead of us pulled down the hall, going to whatever destination it had. We seemed to walk forever. My lower back start aching so that I had a hard time standing up, let alone walking. I imagined complaining wouldn't go over too well, so I went forward in pain.

Abruptly we stopped in front of a set of double doors. Beryl motioned to the soldier next to her and he stepped forward to open the doors. The wooden doors were obviously heavy and the hinges groaned in protest, squeaking loudly. The room beyond was massive. There was barrels of fire in each corner, providing the only light in the room. The shadows of the flames danced along the ceiling, each moving together in such unison that it seemed like one huge party.

In the middle of the room was a long flat stone bed that seemed to rise out of the floor. In desperation I tried to pull my arms free from the guard holding me, but failed. I wanted to run, far from here; Anywhere to protect my baby. But Beryl's servant was strong and prevented me from making an escape. Forcefully I was laid on the stone table and strapped down.

Everyone in the room grew deathly quiet. The flames made the shadows dance across the walls, the shadows looked longer and more ominous. My entire body began to tremble, and tears poured unnoticed down my face. "Onegai," I begged, but no one here would answer my plea.

Beryl lifted her hands above her and began reciting verses from a book in a language I couldn't understand. Above me a black mist appeared, whirling around in circles, becoming larger with every passing moment. The wind from the movement caused the flames to flicker faster, the shadows dancing wildly. When it came closer to me, I tried to squirm free. But the straps that held me wouldn't budge. Still I fought against them, yanking, moving any way I could. Closing my eyes shut tight, I screamed with all I had in me. The baby, mine and Mamo-chans's precious daughter, moved frantically in my womb. It was painful how hard she moved, I felt she could break me from the inside. I could feel her thrashing, in a panic, try to fight the invading force. Newfound terror exploded in my mind and spirit. I fought against the straps harder still; crying, screaming in fear and need. The more I moved the tighter my binds seemed. "MAMO-CHAN!" My shrill voice echoed throughout the stone room.

Through all the pain, all the terror of the moment - nothing prepared me for when I felt my baby stop moving. Suddenly, it was as if she gave up the fight for her life. My screams stopped, my heart breaking. "No," I whispered - new, hot tears of a pain deeper than the physical pain, falling down my face. I felt my soul's agony - over and over I begged my baby to keep fighting. But there was no response. My body was numb and unmoving save for the dull drumming of my heart. "Please baby," I begged, gasping for each breath like it was my last. "Please don't give up. I need you. We need you! Mama and Papa love you so much."

The being above me grew darker until I couldn't make out the ceiling any longer. My eyes took in everything I could see from the stone bed I laid on. But the most dominant force in the room was not the evil. In my eyes it was the pain and heartache. Let them kill me, I thought. It doesn't matter now. In the back of my mind I heard Beryl still chanting - now in Japanese. The ghostly vision of red eyes appeared in the mist above me - a long hand reaching towards my stomach. I closed my eyes, giving up. There was nothing left to fight for now. She had already stolen the most important thing of all. I wanted to return to Mamo-chan, I wanted to return to Shingo and my friends... but I couldn't think past the fact that she was lost. Our little Usagi was gone.

"RISE!" Beryl screamed, her voice so loud it blocked out my every thought. Her eyes were completely black and glassy as she spoke, her hands above her head. "Take the offered body of the child and be born again, my Queen! Rise oh great an-" Her voice suddenly was cut off sharply, ending in a gargle and then, silence.

Weeping still, I waited for the physical pain to begin. It never did. When I reopened my eyes the only thing above me was the stone ceiling, the flames still dancing frantically. The black swirl had disappeared, leaving only the ominous feeling behind. The flames moved in my line of sight. They seem to be mocking me, reminding me of my loss. In agony I moaned, shutting my eyes to block out the reality that was facing me.

"Usako!"

I felt a slight smile tug at my cracked, dry lips. There was no pain in my body, not even the dull ache of my heart. I was dead, I concluded. And in death I could hear Mamo-chan's sweet voice call for me. Maybe I will be with my baby now. My beautiful baby who never had a chance at life on either the Moon Kingdom or Earth.

"Usako!" I heard Mamo-chan call again. "Onegai, Usako, come back to me. Come on!" I smiled, opening my eyes. But instead of Heaven, or a beautiful dream that would last forever - I saw Mamo-chan's face with the stone ceiling of the cave behind him. Above me, so close our foreheads were touching, was Mamo-chan's face. His eyes were looking into mine, his hands cupping my face. "Usako," he whispered in a relieved tone. "Oh God, you scared me. I thought you had left me. I thought I was too late."

"Mamo-chan?" His words dropped the blanket of reality over me again. I didn't think I could hurt more than I had already. But looking into Mamo-chan's eyes made the pieces of my heart that was left crumble into dust. I began sobbing again. Finding my arms free, I weakly wrapped them around Mamo-chan and sobbed against him.

"Shhhh," he whispered into my ear. "You're okay now. I'm here, nothing is going to hurt you." His soothing words couldn't stop the pain in my heart, however. And it hurt even more knowing I had to tell him.

"I'm not okay Mamo-chan. She-she... that devil... she took-she killed our baby." The words, said out loud from my very own lips, drove me into even more heartache. It made them final, and I don't know how, but it hurt more. I wanted to curl up and die. But even that escape had been denied to me. I cried harder, my chest heaving.

Mamo-chan's eyes reflected the same heartbreak I felt. A tear traveled down his face, but I could see he wasn't going to drown in his sorrow like I was. Not yet. I felt him slide one arm under my knees and the other behind my back. His voice was low and sad when he spoke. "Put your arms around my neck. Come on Usako, you can do it. That's a girl," he whispered as I numbly obeyed. Emotional exhaustion set in my bones. Even though I fought to stay awake - I felt myself fall into a deep sleep.

When I next awoke it was dark. For a terrifying moment I thought I was still in Beryl's prison. But here there was windows, and the moon playing peak-a-boo with the clouds assured me I was at least not still trapped. My bones ached, as did my eyes and chest. It took a moment for my memories to fully return - when they did, I suddenly wished they hadn't. I sat up on the bed. My chest was hollow, out of tears to cry. For now. I stood on shaking feet and went into the living room of Mamo-chan's apartment. The clock on the mantel ticked softly, the time 4:38 a.m. The sofa couch was pulled out and Minako, Rei, Luna and Artemis were asleep on it. I tiptoed past and found Ami and Makoto asleep on an air mattress in the floor.

I walked slowly like a zombie through the apartment. My burning eyes looked up, noticing the balcony door was open. Slowly I stepped outside and into the soft drizzle of rain. At first I didn't see anyone, but on second glance I found Mamo-chan sitting in the corner, his knees drawn up to his chest. He was staring towards the moon and didn't see me.

The light in his eyes was gone. Bleak and careless he stared forward. I shivered, scared of what it might mean. "Mamo-chan?" I called, my voice quivering despite my attempts to steady it.

He blinked, looking up at me like he had seen a ghost. I walked to him, kneeling down to place my hand on his. Inside his tight fist was a crumbled piece of paper. He didn't say anything when I took it, only stared at me as I began reading it out loud. "This letter is to inform one Chiba Mamoru, citizen of Tokyo, Japan, of the results of the paternity test..." My eyes watered and my voice left me. Scanning on through the letter, I found the words I was looking for. "...in conclusion to such tests, the child of one Tsukino Usagi, also a citizen of Tokyo, Japan, is 99.99999% positive that you are said child's natural father..." I let the paper slip from my fingers as I fell to my knees in front of Mamo-chan and burst into tears. I felt Mamo-chan pull me to him, his tears falling in my hair as we both wept for our baby.

The light drizzle soon lead way for larger drops of rain, and soon the wind gusts followed that made the steady drops sting against our skin. I lay still in Mamo-chan's arms, allowing the rain to wash away my tears and the wind to carry them away. Mamo-chan gently picked me up and carried me inside, past the sleeping Senshi and into his bedroom.

My Prince laid me down on the bed, staring at me intently. Getting on his knees beside the bed, I watched as he leaned over and kissed my hair. His lips traveled over my forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks, chin and neck. I closed my eyes, letting his kisses smooth my pain. His confident fingers unbuttoned my blouse, leaving a trail of heated, urgent kisses down my chest.

Suddenly he stopped. Confused, I opened my eyes and saw him staring at my bare stomach. Tears began falling down his face - splashing onto my skin. His shaking hands were held over my still swollen stomach for what seemed an eternity.

Abruptly a sob left his throat, his tearful, grieving voice mumbling as he laid his cheek on my stomach. "No, no, no, no," he cried, over and over, gripping the sheet with one hand and rubbing my stomach with the other. I felt my own tears return, and placed the pillow over my face to cover the sound of my grief. "Onegai," I heard Mamo-chan beg in the voice of a man whose heart had been broken. "Please, don't leave your Papa and Mama..." Mamoru wept for a while. I tried to find it in myself to comfort him, but all I could do was cry with him. His was the last words I heard before sleep thankfully took over - giving me a few hours of relief from a world I didn't care to be in.

* * *

Rei called into work for me the next day. I was scared to talk to Motoki myself. If he was to start asking questions I knew I would break down again. With heavy steps the Senshi of Mars came back into the bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed next to me. "Motoki told me to tell you he hopes you feel better soon," she mumbled.

"What did you tell him?" I asked, still not looking at her. The hollowness in my heart felt stronger in the daylight.

The sun was bright, but still I stared towards it. No matter how bright and cheerful the day seemed, all I saw was gray skies and gloom.

"I just said you weren't feeling well," her voice faded off and she grabbed my hands, forcing me to meet her eyes. "Usagi, are you sure you lost the baby?" Her voice flickered with hope, but her eyes were full of tears.

I couldn't cry anymore. I didn't have the strength. My face void of emotion, I meet her gaze. "Rei-chan, I could feel the baby moving - fighting the evil. And then, then she stopped. I-I just knew that she was gone then."

"You know you've got to go to the doctor, right?" Rei whispered. A few tears fell down her face as she spoke. "It's not... not healthy for you to continue to carry," her voice broke off; unable to continue. She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me with all her might. "We're here for you, Usagi. We are all here for both you and Mamoru-san." She let go, looking slightly embarrassed by her show of emotion. "Anything you need, just ask, ne?"

"Rei-chan, what happened yesterday? What took you all so long?"

The Soldier of Fire clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap, then wiped her face free of tears. She acted as if that was the last thing she expected me to ask. I realized it probably was. But I just hadn't been able to ask Mamo-chan, I was already too afraid he would blame himself. "Mamoru-san went closest to the building, searching for that man. Ami-chan... she screamed that she couldn't find a life force inside and we needed to get out before we got hurt." She stopped, staring off at her memories. "We all got out and that's when Mamoru-san noticed you were gone. We looked everywhere, but couldn't find you. It wasn't for about half an hour before someone said they had seen a man grab you and disappear. Mamoru-san went crazy, shaking the poor man until Uranus pulled him away. Ami-chan worked for hours to find where the portal had opened. But it wasn't until evening when she got it right and we could follow the man who had taken you. It didn't take long to find the room you was in. Thankfully we had the advantage of a surprise attack."

As she spoke the memories of waiting, watching for Mamo-chan; came back to invade my mind. The horror I experienced when I realized he was too late. "Beryl, what happened to her? Is... is she dead?"

Rei, to my eternal relief, nodded her head yes. "Uranus went in ahead of us, saw what was happening and stabbed Beryl to death before all of us even made it in the room." She smiled slightly. "No questions asked, just in her normal manner."

We both looked up as the bedroom door creaked slowly open. Ami knocked lightly on the door, peeking in at us. Reimotioned for her to enter and she did so, standing at the end of the bed. I saw that she had also been crying. It seemed my pain was everyone's. I felt slightly better knowing I wasn't alone.

Ami cleared her throat, putting her glasses on her face. "Usagi-chan, if it's okay I want to do a scan on you before we head to the hospital. I tried to scan you last night, but whatever barrier your henshin provided for the baby wouldn't allow me to get an accurate reading."

I nodded, not letting her words sink into my mind. The Solider of Water opened her computer and began typing. Behind her, Mamo-chan came thru the door and watched quietly. I paid her no attention until she stopped, giving me the same puzzled expression that I had seen on her five months earlier.

"What's that?" Mamo-chan asked, coming up behind Ami and pointing to the screen. Ami shook her head, walking around to the side of the bed and hitting more buttons. Mamo-chan followed her, looking over her shoulder at the screen.

Ami clicked the compact closed with a sigh of frustration and looked at me. "Usagi-chan, it could be my computer picking up the baby's um... presence. Well, I think it would be best if you went onto the hospital now. My mom is already expecting you."

We all stared at her blankly, Mamo-chan regaining his voice first. "What are you saying, Ami?"

Ami turned around, biting her bottom lip. "I'm not saying anything, because I don't know. But I think it would be a good idea for Usagi to go on to the hospital." The Genius Senshi didn't look as worried as she did confused.

A mixture of feelings swept through me. I nodded, standing up. Mamo-chan came over to my side and when our eyes locked I saw a spark of hope in their blue depths and I prayed it wasn't in vain.

I stared at my entwined hands. Ami had gone after her mother almost fifteen minutes ago, but it felt more like hours. Mamo-chan sat beside me in the waiting room - rubbing the back of my neck reassuringly. It felt like there was a knot in my throat that I couldn't swallow. My stomach twitched like a million butterflies were trapped inside me.

"Usagi-san?"

I blinked, looking up. Dr. Mizuno stood in the doorway, a chart in her hand. She smiled, walking in and sitting a couple of chairs down from us. "Ami tells me you think you lost your baby?" Her voice was soft, her words not pounding into my broken heart as much as they would have if she hadn't.

I nodded my head. Mamo-chan put his hands on my arms and squeezed lightly. Dr. Mizuno nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "Have you had any vaginal bleeding?"

"No," I replied.

"Any pain?"

"No," I replied again. Unless you count what's in my heart. But I didn't say this aloud for fear I would begin crying again.

Dr. Mizuno smiled, looking acutely confused. She leaned forward. "Usagi, what makes you think you've lost the baby, then?"

I felt tears cloud over my eyes as I remembered Beryl's words; her plans. The agony of feeling my baby inside me, fighting for her life and then losing that struggle. And the knowledge that even though she was there, inside me, I could do nothing to help her. Breath by breath I tried to fight my tears from falling - but couldn't. I collapsed into Mamo-chan's supporting arms and once more drew from the seemingly endless well of tears in my body.

Dr. Mizuno moved to the seat next to me, rubbing my back. "Okay. You really seem to think you lost it. So why don't we go do an ultra-sound and take a look. Then take things from there?"

I heard Mamo-chan agree and he helped me up. I leaned against his broad chest for support as we followed Ami's mother down the hall. The walls were decorated with various posters of children from the womb up to a couple of years old. I closed my eyes, burying my face against Mamo-chan's shoulder. The sight of what might have been nagging at my mind, weighing down my heart. We finally entered a room on the right and Dr. Mizuno had me lay on the bed while she washed her hands.

I couldn't bear to look at the equipment that just one short month ago had made me cry in light of the miracle in my body. Now I wanted to cry for the same loss. I closed my eyes as Dr. Mizuno applied the cream to my stomach. The cold didn't even register to my numb body, it was nothing compared to the feelings that ran through my heart,veins... soul. She placed the equipment on my stomach and I waited.

The room was as quiet as the outer regions of space as Dr. Mizuno searched the ultra sound screen for my baby. I knew any moment she would confirm that my baby was gone. Under my closed eyelids I could plainly see Mamo-chan's eyes - and the hope I had seen in them earlier. I peeked out from under my lids at Mamo-chan. His eyes were staring at the screen intently, his hands griping mine.

Dr. Mizuno looked at the screen, puzzled. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the disappointment, the loss of hope yet a second time in Mamo-chan's face.

"I can't find the heartbeat," she mumbled, more to herself than to us. "There's no movement..."

I shut my eyes tighter, my grief opening up again. No, no, no. Please don't let it be this way, I begged. As I laid on the bed, tears soaking my face, I began praying.

Please Lord, I begged. Please! Don't let it end this way! I know that I done wrong by this soul, but I love her so much...

"Usako..." I heard Mamo-chan gasp. "What are you doing?"

I didn't open my eyes, couldn't. Faintly I heard Dr. Mizuno inhale sharply. The speaker of the ultra sound began a light thumping.

Please God, please!

Mamo-chan told me later that the light that shone from my body was even more intense than my henshin, so much that both he and Dr. Mizuno had to cover their eyes with their hands. It reached every corner of the room, even lighting up the hallway where my guardians stood waiting.

Ami couldn't explain what had happened, even though she tried for days. But I could, I knew without a doubt in my mind what it was.

One minute there was no heartbeat and then there was.

And nobody would ever tell me it wasn't nothing short of the will of God. The miracle of life.

Tears flowed down my face yet again. But these weren't the hot, burning tears of pain. No. These were as warm as the sun on a spring day, breaking through the clouds to shine on me and the restored life inside me.

For the first time in so very long I was happy to be alive. To be me. At that single moment in my confused existence with Mamo-chan by my side and our baby alive... life was perfect.

 **-End Chapter 10.**

There, whew! A chapter without a cliffhanger. Aren't you proud of me? ^_^

I still don't own Sailor Moon, however I have recently discovered that one of my coworkers is an awesome artist, so I will soon own some Sailor Moon art work and that's kinda like the same thing. A little. Maybe not, but I'm excited!

To answer a question posted in reviews, this story is 15 chapters long. Then the next book in the series, No Greater Love, has 12 chapters and then the third book, Forever More, has 8 chapters (I think?) and actually isn't finished, so I don't know what it will have at the end.

I apologize for how short this chapter is. I think this is the shorter chapter of the entire book, so the next ones will start picking up more.

Thank you everyone who reads, reviews, follows, etc! I appreciate my readers so much ^_^!

God Bless!  
Beth


	11. Normal or not

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally Released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 11 - Normal... or not**

"Breathe, Usako! Come on, you can do it!"

With all the strength I could muster, I gripped Mamo-chan's hand as hard as I could. I saw the strain on his face to not say that I was hurting him. Evil thoughts entered my mind as I squeezed harder. You wanted to share in my pain? I think I can arrange that for you, bucko!

The doctor at the foot of the bed popped up over the sheets so quickly, and with such a stupid smile on her face, that she reminded me of a jack-in-the box. "You're doing great, Usagi!" she beamed at me. "Just a few more pushes and we'll have all of them out!"

It could have been the pain killers, but did I just hear her say _all_ of them?

"ALL?!" I screamed. Beside me Mamo-chan was saying something about broken fingers, but in light of the doctor's comment I ignored him.

"Oh yes," she replied, nodding her head up and down quickly. Vaguely her lack of control of her bobbing head reminded me of that jack-in-the-box again. "There's four. Quadruplets!"

"WHAT?!"

"AHAHAHAHA!" Mamo-chan screamed. I glared over at him when I realized that he wasn't screaming about the number of babies - but rather at his hand. It resembled something off a cartoon the way it was bright red and about four times its normal size. It throbbed in sync to the blood pounding in it.

"PUSH!" Dr. Mizuno ordered.

"Usako, you're kind of hurting me here..." Mamo-chan whined, tears coming out of his eyes.

"Yeah, come on Usagi - PUSH!" Suddenly I was surrounded by all the Senshi and the lunar cats in cheerleading uniforms, shaking pom poms in my face. Artemis (wearing a bright pink skirt and halter top) was leading the group in cheer. "P-U-S-H! What does it spell? Push! Push Usagi, push!" was the words they all cried at once, followed by waving the pom poms around as they jumped.

"Here comes number three!" Dr. Mizuno yelled from the foot of the bed. "Keep pushing!"

"P-U..!"

"Usako, you're killing me here.."

"-S-H!"

"Come on Usagi-san, here comes number four!"

"What does it spell?!"

"Usako..."

"PUSH, Usagi! Push!"

"AHHHH!" I sat up in the bed, sweat dripping from my face and my hair drenched. My breathing was labored as I opened my mouth and sucked in air. My eyes snapped open, my hands reaching to pull my night shirt up to be sure I was still pregnant. Never in my life was I so happy to see my large, round stomach. I breathed a sigh of relief, falling back on my pillows and allowing myself to relax, if only for a moment.

The bedroom door flung open about that time, Mamo-chan running in followed by Shingo and Luna. "Usako? Are you okay!?" My love seemed terribly confused for a moment when all he saw was me lying on our bed. He looked me over again before scratching his head. "But... I heard you scream..."

I nodded my head, finally able to calm my racing heart down to an even pace. Mamo-chan sat beside me on the bed, wiping off a drop of sweat that was running dangerously close to my left eye as I began my explanation. "I just had the weirdest dream..." I began, feeling silly for having woken up screaming and scaring everyone to death as a result.

"It's perfectly normal for pregnant woman to have strange dreams," Luna stated in her standard 'I know everything' tone. She lay down on the foot of the bed, still looking at me out of the corner of her eye as she began washing her face. "If you want to try and get some more sleep, I'll stay in here with you."

While the idea of going back to sleep was an appealing one, the thought of seeing Artemis in a pink cheerleading outfit again was definitely not. Gratefully I smiled at my guardian cat, but shook my head. "That's okay, Luna. I'd rather stay awake than face the Senshi cheering "Push, Usagi! Push!" in my dreams."

Despite the worried look on my beloved's face, he cracked up laughing at the mental image he received from my words. I glared at him and pushed the covers aside. "I think a hot shower is in the works."

"And then we have a surprise for you!" Shingo said excitedly. I could tell from the moment he ran in the room he was sitting on a secret so large there was no way he'd make it through the next ten minutes without saying something. Mamo-chan immediately put his hand over Shingo's mouth, casting a sly glance my way as he shoved my brother out of the room and shut the door.

"Chiba Mamoru, what are you up to?" I asked him, hands on my hips.

"Nothing," he mumbled, grinning like a Cheshire cat at me. He came over to the bed and raised my shirt again - placing his lips on my stomach. "Good morning," he whispered. "How's Papa's baby girl this morning?" In response to his question the baby kicked. "She hears me," he told me for the umpteenth time. Ever since Dr. Mizuno told us that the baby could hear everything we said now, he made it a point to talk to my stomach - ten or twenty times a day. As he cooed and talked to his daughter, she kicked my stomach again - hard.

"Yeah, she hears you alright," I pointed out, placing his hand where she continued to happily kick. As I stood up, she jabbed her foot in my stomach again. "I swear, she's going to be a kick boxer when she grows up. Not even born yet and already giving me a hard time."

"Only five more weeks and she'll be kicking the air instead of you," he assured me, his eyes following me as I grabbed a towel from the linen closet.

I stopped, casting a sideways glace at Mamo-chan. He was staring at me, his lips in a small smile. I felt my face warm as a blush crept up my neck to shade my cheeks. He smiled wider as he noticed my reaction, his face lighting up. Slowly he walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and rubbing my stomach. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?" he whispered in my ear, his warm breath on my neck.

"Not today," I answered, trying to keep a straight face and failing completely. He always knew what to do, what to say to make me weak at the knees. I settled back against his chest; knowing very well I wouldn't have it any other way.

"I tell you what," his deep voice continued as he stepped away from me and twisted the lock on the bedroom door. When he turned again his gaze locked with mine. I could have drowned in their depths for the rest of eternity. "How about I run you a nice hot bubble bath, give you a foot massage and wash your hair..."

"Ooooh," I sighed. "A foot massage and my hair washed? What have I done to get such special treatment?"

A mock pained expression crossed Mamo-chan's face and he placed his hands over his heart. "You question my motives, Usako? Can I not just do it out of the love I have for you? Because I feel so badly that I can't share in your experiences?" For a moment he almost had me believing he was upset. Almost. I stared at him until he broke. "Or can I not try and find a way to keep you occupied and out of the rest of the apartment long enough for Shingo to forget what he knows?"

I couldn't help laughing as I rolled my eyes at him. But who was I to turn down an offer like that? My center of gravity had long since left me, so that most things that required bending over or moving a certain way became more like a challenge from a game show. I had never thought of myself as clumsy, but walking in a straight line for me was about as hard as it was for a drunken man. And washing my long mass of hair was an obstacle that had left me in tears more than once just this week alone. Sometimes I felt so stupid for loosing it like I did. I wasn't the only woman on Earth to have a baby, yet I felt so very alone. No matter what Mamo-chan did to be a part of my pregnancy there was no way for him to understand what I felt.

"The water is ready, Usako," my beloved announced from the bathroom door. He ran his fingers through his hair, a lock of his rich, ebony hair falling back over his forehead again. He smiled at me, his blue eyes dancing with love. For the moment I found I could push aside all the unwanted thoughts clouding my mind. I hoped they didn't return this time.

Mamo-chan (bless his heart, I think he had no idea what he was getting into) had not only washed my hair and gave me a wonderful foot massage - but had blow dried my hair and brushed it until it gleamed. So after taking a long, relaxing scented bubble bath - as well as all the perks - the dark thoughts of earlier this morning did seem to subside. I hummed to myself as I pulled my hair up into a pony tail rather than my normal two buns and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. My little one was a lot like Shingo and I, it appeared. She got rather hostile if I didn't eat first thing in the morning.

As I passed Shingo, forever sitting in the living room floor with the Nintendo controller in his hand, I kissed his cheek and bid him good morning. With his usual "Morning, Mama," he went back to the game like he had never been interrupted.

With a slight smile of amusement, I went into the kitchen where Mamo-chan had placed a stack of blue berry pancakes on the table. "Feeling better?" he asked, moving to kiss my lips and trying to not spill dish water in the floor at the same time. He failed, mind you, cursing under his breath as he grabbed for the dish towel to clean it up.

"Immensely," I replied, giggling at the sight of a six foot two man on his knees cleaning up spilled dishwater. Not only that, but the view from here was great also. Geesh, what a cute butt he has. Shaking my head, I tried to focus on something else. "Mamo-chan? Do you think it's healthy for Shingo to spend so much time on that game?"

"Huh?" my beloved asked, looking through the doorway and into the living room. "Oh, sure. If anything it helps his hand-eye coordination." I gave him a puzzled look that said I didn't really believe him. But he ignored it and went back to washing dishes. "When I was his age I would have loved to sit around all day playing those games."

"When I was his age I was out having fun with my friends..." I noted, again worrying about Shingo's solitude. He hadn't seem to make any friends here, like he had back home. "Mom was always busy taking him to skating practice, soccer practice, a birthday party - something."

"I'm sure he just needs time to make new friends. This has all been hard on him, but he's a good kid. He'll make friends soon enough." I nodded thoughtfully, trying to hide the worry from Mamo-chan. If he noticed my distraction, he said nothing. I ate in silence, the sound of Mamo-chan running water and clanking dishes the only thing that invaded my thoughts. Chibi-Usa - as her father had appointed her - stopped kicking my stomach when I began eating. But it wasn't too long that I figured she didn't care for the food. I looked at the plate of blueberry pancakes - usually my favorite - and felt like I was going to get sick. A part of me still wanted them, the other part wanted something a little more difficult to come by.

"What's wrong?" Mamo-chan asked, looking at the plate of pancakes that I had only picked out. "I thought they were your favorite?"

"Eh, nothing," I mumbled. But apparently my little angel was persistent this morning. I had had bad craving before, but this was insane! And I knew there wasn't a place in town that sold what I wanted this early in the morning. Mentally I scolded my baby, trying to get her to calm her cravings. It didn't work. Mamo-chan took the plate, looking at me with curiosity.

"Usako, if you are craving something just tell me and I'll make it, or go get it or something..." I couldn't help but smile at the way he stumbled over his words. Never did I think a man was so devoted to a pregnant woman's every whim the way Mamo-chan was. Sometimes I felt so lucky I couldn't stop grinning.

I knew that no matter how much I fought him, he would eventually make me tell him what it was I wanted. I shook my head, giving up before he even had to coax it out of me. "Well, I really would like a double cheese burger with mustard and pickles only. And some onion rings would be nice..." I blurted out as fast as I could, twisting a piece of my hair between my fingers and trying to smile my best smile at him.

"Double cheese burger..." he repeated softly, realization dawning on him. Oh yeah, before nine o'clock in the morning that would be rather hard to find. I caught just a hint of weariness in his eyes before he hid them and grabbed the keys off the counter. It might have had something to do with the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream I wanted at midnight, but no one can be too sure. "Anything else, my love?" he beamed at me.

"Extra pickles. Not four instead of three, either. I mean, lots of pickles," I emphasized, mentally licking my lips. "Oh, and some apple juice."

Mamo-chan blanched slightly, still holding the car keys in mid-air. I saw him mouth 'apple juice' before smiling and heading towards the door. He slipped his shoes on, called back that he would return shortly, and left.

Still envisioning double cheeseburgers and onion rings in my head, I patted my stomach and walked into the living room. "You better be glad that your papa likes to venture out for stuff so much," I said lightly to my daughter, giggling to myself. Hopefully he would be so willing to get up during the night and feed Chibi-Usa when she was born.

I sat down on the sofa behind Shingo, watching the speeding car go through the city on the screen. Suddenly it stopped, and Shingo turned around to me, a confused expression on his young face. I watched as he stood up unsurely and came over and sat on the couch beside me. I knew that something serious was bothering him just from the way he studied me instead of talking. I said nothing, wanting to let him decide how to say what he wanted. "Mama," he finally began, twisting his hands in front of him. "Can we have a discussion?" he asked, his pronunciation of 'discussion' sounding a bit off.

I masked my worry and smiled light heartedly at him. "Sure we can, sweetie. What do you want to talk about?" He looked so confused about something, and also anxious to find out the answers to questions that must have been burning in his small mind for quite some time. I sat back against the sofa, waiting with temptation for what he would say. But I can guarantee you it wasn't what I was expecting. "Why do you and Mamoru talk to your stomach? Can it hear you?"

Honestly, it took a lot out of me to not burst out laughing. Instead I narrowed it down to a giggle that I tried to disguise as a cough. "Um, well," I began, searching for the words to make a six year old understand. "Do you remember when I told you that I was going to have a baby? And that the baby was in my tummy?" He nodded his head eagerly, gazing at me with huge blue eyes. "Well, now that she is old enough she can hear what we say. So that is why we talk to her."

He looked at me for a long moment as if trying to see if I was lying or not. Satisfied that I wasn't, he moved slightly closer on the couch. "So she can hear what we are saying now?" he questioned, his eye brow still furrowed incredulity. "Really?"

"You can also feel her; wanna try?" Eagerly he nodded his head and I reached out to take his hand in mine. He let me guide his hand unsurely towards my stomach where I placed it in the spot Chibi-Usa liked to kick most often. The silence stretched on for a good three minutes, Shingo saying nothing and me mentally urging Chibi-Usa (for once) to kick. I saw Shingo begin to look doubtfully at me, and I exhaled deeply. "Young lady, you kick me almost twenty-four hours a day. Don't tell me you decided to go to sleep now!" I accused her, Shingo looking at me like I was rambling like a mad person.

My words must have woken her up, or maybe for once she decided to listen. At any rate, I felt her kick just slightly to the left of where Shingo's hand was placed. I moved his palm quickly to the spot and saw his eyes grow. He snatched his hand back, looking from his hand, to my stomach and to me. "That was her?" he finally asked, looking at me with newfound appreciation.

I nodded my head, smiling at him. With weighted movements, he leaned his head towards my stomach and earnestly said: "Hi baby. I'm Shingo and I'm gonna be a good big brother for you."

I couldn't hold back the tears that filled my eyes if I wanted to. It was so sweet - so precious seeing how seriously he was talking. He straightened up, still looking distraught about something. "Is Mamoru her Papa?" he finally asked. I nodded my head, holding my breath as I waited for his reaction to this. He looked to be in deep thought for a moment before looking back at me. He stood up, going back to the game and I let my breath out. I had no more begun to let my mind wonder over any other questions he might have when he paused the game again. "Can Mamoru be my Papa, too?" he asked, looking at me over his shoulder. His eyes were so sad, so hungry for need and the sense of belonging.

"If that is what you want, Shingo," I responded as seriously, albeit kindly, as I could. It was so important for Mamoru to have a family, and Shingo's acceptance of him had meant a great deal. I'm sure this would mean even more. Shingo's face lit up with a smile and he turned the game back on, the sounds of the racing cars soon filling the living room.

I sat for a few more minutes watching Shingo play the game when I heard a thumbing noise, followed by a muffled voice. I rose to go to the door when it was pushed open, Mamo-chan coming through, kicking the door shut with his foot and going into the kitchen. With a smile on my face, I followed him. As I walked in, I could see he looked slightly tired-his face had the lightest hint of unshaven facial hair and his eyes were bloodshot. I watched as he put a half gallon of ice cream in the freezer, two half gallon pitchers of apple juice away before I cleared my throat.

He looked up, smiling tiredly as he did so. I felt a pang of guilt nag at my heart. It was hard for me to find a comfortable way to sleep anymore, but it hadn't occurred to me that because I shared a bed with Mamo-chan that I was disturbing him. He hadn't said anything about it. Duh, Usagi, I told myself. He wouldn't say a word to you. Shaking my head lightly I moved the second bag out from in font of him and started going through it. "I couldn't find any place that had a double cheeseburger," he mumbled. "And Motoki wasn't at work. So I went to the grocery store and bought some hamburger meat. We needed some anyways.." his voice faded out as I walked around the table and towards him.

His eyes stayed on me as I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his face down to mine. I felt his arms automatically come around my waist and I leaned up to kiss him lightly. "Thank you, Mamo-chan. But you didn't have to go through all of that for me." Before he could protest and tell me about how he would do anything for me, I shut him up by pressing my lips to his again - demanding that he return it.

When we parted, he pressed his forehead to mine. "You know I'd do..."

"Anything for me," I finished for him, giggling slightly. "Hai, I know."

Mamo-chan shook his head, his lips curving up so adorably it should be a crime. "Nu uh; I would do anything for all three of you." He kissed my nose again before leaving me to fish in the cabinet for a frying pan.

I sat down at the table, opening the jar of pickles and digging in. As I watched Mamo-chan make my cheeseburger, my thoughts keep returning to the ice cream in the freezer. Pickles forgotten, I opened the ice cream and began eating. Mamo-chan looked at me out of the corner of his eye without saying a word he continued cooking, his face a pale shade of green. I tried, really, but I couldn't keep the smile from my face.

"So what time is the girl's picking you up today?" Blankly I looked at him over the tub of ice cream in my hands. He turned to look at me, the spatula still in his hand. "Don't tell me you forgot you were going shopping with everyone today?"

The look on my face must have said just that, because he busted out laughing. I looked down at the ice cream, at Mamo-chan and got up. "I think I'll be getting dressed now." As I left the kitchen, the sound of Mamo-chan's laughing followed me.

The phone rang as I shifted through my dresser drawers. I had all of four maternity outfits (two I didn't care for), which meant I should probably put that on my list of things to buy today. Absentmindedly I reached for the phone, turning it on. "Moshi Moshi."

"Are you ready to go yet?" Minako asked, from the background sounds I could tell she was in a car. I laid my four outfits on the bed and looked back and forth between them as Minako said something to Rei, not even listening to any response I might have. Suddenly she laughed. "Usagi-chan, Rei-chan says she bets you aren't even dressed yet! Anyways, we will be there as soon as we pick Ami up."

Luna placed her paw on the sweatpants and short sleeve blue shirt, giving me a look that said that was her opinion on the subject. "No, I don't think so," I mumbled to my guardian cat, but Minako heard me.

"What?" Minako asked, her voice clearly confused.

Shooing Luna away, I turned back to my dresser for a pair of socks. "I didn't mean you, Minako-chan. I was talking to Luna. I'll be ready by the time you get here."

"Okay, see you in five! Ja!" Before I could get a word in edgewise, the bubbly sound of Minako's voice faded and the line went dead. Shrugging I turned the phone off and set it down.

"They are on their way, then?" Luna asked, stretching across the bed lazily.

"Hai," I answered, picking up the overalls and shirt. "You know, Luna," I pointed out before closing the bathroom door. "You are getting lazy; staying in bed until ten o'clock. The shame," I teased, shutting the door before she could realize what I said and retort back. The sound of her mumbling to herself died when I flipped the radio on and began dressing.

After applying a little makeup and fixing my hair, I went into the living room where all of the inner Senshi were waiting. They followed me into the kitchen and either sat or stood around the table as I ate my cheeseburger. I felt guilty, but by the time I had ate half of the burger, I was full. When I put the plate on the sink, Mamo-chan turned to me with a knowing smile on his face. "I'm supposing the pickles and ice cream ruined your appetite?"

"Pickles and ice cream?!" Rei exclaimed before I could even think of answering Mamo-chan. A look of shock and disgust crossed her features. "That's just gross."

I shrugged, standing up and getting my jacket. "Whatever floats your boat. I wanted it, and since I'm pregnant and have an excuse - it's what I ate."

"That don't make it any less gross," Rei quipped, shaking her head at me. She looked to Ami who had said nothing up to this point. "Is that healthy?"

The petite girl shook her head, smiling at all of us like we were loonies on the loose. "For a pregnant woman craving can make you want just about any food and any given time, and it doesn't matter their order." She continued on like she was teaching a class. "I've heard of women eating the bark of a tree, the foam from beer; any number of odd things as well as foods."

Every eye turned to me, Makoto looking the most thoughtful. "You start knawing on a tree and you'll walk home," she predicted, trying not to let a smile crack through the seriousness on her face. The rest of us busted out laughing until she joined us.

* * *

"OOOOOH!" I'm sure that my squeal made everyone in the shop turn my direction. You can imagine how much I cared. Minako came running over first followed by everyone else.

At the blank stares and giggling, I pulled up my prize possession. "Look!" I exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. All afternoon we had been oohing and ahhing over this and that, but I hadn't bought much in the way of baby items. This I wasn't going to think twice about.

"Oh my gosh!" Minako exclaimed, grabbing the bib out of my hands and looking it over as if she thought she were imagining it. "This is sooo cute!"

It was a full size bib, not one of the small ones and the colors were simple: black and white. So why was I - as well as everyone else - having a fit? Well, it could have something to do with the little anime style Tuxedo Kamen drawn on it, and the words 'Drool Worthy' written above.

"You just have to buy this," Makoto told me, handing the bib back to me. "That is just too cute, and I'm sure Mamoru-san will get a kick out of it." I nodded, giggling to myself as the prospect of his face when I showed it to him.

I paid for the two outfits I had found, the Tuxedo Kamen bib and the tiny pink socks. The five of us left the store, heading towards the car when the first drop of rain fell. I looked up, wondering if I had just imagined it. Another drop followed, this time Ami remarking that she had felt it also. By the time we were all packed into Makoto's car again, the rain began heavily. Glancing at my watch, I looked up at the sky. "Well, I guess we should just call it a day. Besides, I still have a little over a month to shop for other things."

For reasons I had yet to discover, my best friends look hesitant at taking me home. It could have been my imagination, of course. I've been known to have a few wild ideas in my time. But Makoto only confirmed the suspicion when she pulled up to the video store. "I'm going to go in and grab a movie and some popcorn, and we can camp out at my place." Now, wouldn't you have the feeling that you were being kept away from home?

"We can take it to my place..." I suggested softly.

"No! I mean," Rei blanched, scratching the back of her neck nervously. "Eh, well. You bought all of this stuff.."

I raised my left eyebrow, watching her run through her thoughts; trying to come up with a believable excuse. At this point I don't think I'd believe a word she said. She must have realized it, too, because she sat back in the seat, her lips sewn shut.

Next Ami took a stab at it. "Usagi-chan, it's not healthy for you to be stuck in the house all day." Her voice sounded sincere, honest even. Except for one little fact: "Ami-chan, I work four days a week; have a school tutor I go to five days a week and still manage to fit in time for us to go out every Sunday. Not counting taking Shingo places. I hardly think I'm stuck in the house."

I could see her method of madness deflate before my very eyes. She sat back also, her and Rei soaking in their defeat. Minako sat forward from her position in between Rei and Ami and started to say something when Rei reached up, holding her hand over the Senshi of Love's mouth and shaking her head vigorously. Whatever their reasons, that was probably a smart move. Makoto got back in the car, looking back at the fallen Senshi in the back of the car, then at me. "We'll just go to your place then, if that is what you want."

I glanced in the backseat at the stunned faces of Rei, Ami and Minako. Makoto, try as she might, was looking cornered. From the things Shingo had said this morning, and then everyone's strange behavior; there was only one thing to say. "That is exactly what I want."

I walked into the apartment lobby. Well, more or less. It seemed to me that I didn't walk as much as I wobbled. I'm sure I looked like a penguin as I balanced myself and the bag in my hand and pushed the elevator button. I pushed my bangs off my forehead, inhaling deeply. Minako stood beside me, a look of deep thought on her face. "Doushite no, Usagi-chan?"

I smiled, walking into the elevator with my friends and pushed the button that would take us to the twelfth floor. "I just feel like I've been pregnant forever," I admitted. "And yet, I'm scared. Ami's mom said that I will start having contractions any time now up until I have her. I can't wait to hold Chibi-Usa, to finally lay my eyes on my daughter. But then I'm scared of giving birth, scared of a hundred different things. But," I said, throwing a smile at my worried looking friends to reassure them, as well as myself. "I know it will all be okay."

The elevator stopped, the double doors sliding open to reveal the long hallway beyond. I hobbled out, wishing my back wouldn't hurt. Maybe I should have stayed in gymnastics when I was young, and doing these near backbends to stay up straight wouldn't be so hard now.

Rei came up beside me, taking the bag from my hand. "Sure it'll be okay. We're all here, we'll help. And you have Mamoru-san at your beck and call. Why is it, all the good ones are taken?" she asked, changing the subject so fast that I didn't have time to think about the fact that she was trying to cheer me up.

I hardly listened to them discuss back and forth about how all good men were married or taken in some way and the only ones left weren't worth their time. The conversation kept up as we entered my apartment and shed our shoes and jackets at the door. The living room was quiet and after peeping in, no one was in the kitchen either. I threw a puzzled look at my friends, all of whom looked entirely too innocent.

Mamo-chan, Shingo and Luna weren't in my bedroom or in Shingo's. The only other place I hadn't looked was small third bedroom that Mamo-chan used as a sort of study/junk room. My five friends followed me, each with mile wide grins. Determinedly I put my hand on the door knob, thinking I would surprise them all by swinging the door open instead of calling for Mamo-chan first. But instead the surprise was on me.

My eyes wandered from one area of the room to the next in bewilderment. It was only three days before I had been in here and nothing was amiss. Mamo-chan's overly crowded desk had sat in the middle of rows of storage boxes, books, unused furniture and the like. But what I saw before me brought tears to my eyes, and made my heart jump to my throat.

Mamo-chan stopped midway down the ladder he stood on, putting up the finishing touches on the border, to see my reaction. In front of the large double windows that nearly covered one entire wall was a beautiful white crib; complete with crib liner, sheets and stuffed animals. A white rocker to match was beside the crib, one of the quilts my grandmother made draped over the back. The carpet that had once been a dull grey, had been replaced with a soft beige that - along with the new pale pink wallpaper - made the room appear bright and cheerful.

And bunnies! Different sizes and colors were everywhere from the border on the walls to the stuffed animals in the crib. A squeal of delight rose in my throat as I walked slowly around the room, barely brushing my finger tips over the diaper changing table that matched the rocker and crib to the shelves that aligned the wall and then to the matching dresser. "How...? When..?" I managed, so happy I wanted to sit in the rocker and cry.

Shingo stood at the bottom of the ladder Mamo-chan was on, grinning from ear to ear. In his excitement he tripped as he ran over to hug my leg. "Surprise Mama!" he gushed, big blue eyes staring up at me in joy. "Do you like it? We all worked very hard!"

Like it? No, I loved it! And even though I still couldn't find my voice to say this, everyone seemed to know from my expression how delighted I was. Makoto leaned against the wall, her eyes dancing merrily as I sat down in the rocker. "And to think I had to rent a video just so I could call Mamoru-san and warn him we were headed back."

Rei, Ami and Minako gave her a look of reprimand, for it was obvious they had no idea she had gotten a hold of Mamo-chan while they were in the car trying to convince me to go somewhere besides home. My love stepped off the ladder and swept Shingo up into his arms so that he giggled. "Motoki and I took everything that was in here to a storage building and put down new carpet while you were at work," Mamo-chan explained to answer my earlier question. "Then while Motoki and I went and got the furniture and put it together, the girls went and bought everything else we needed. I still have a couple of things to do, like finish putting up the border. But I knew you'd see it today because someone," here he tickled Shingo, causing his beautiful laughter to carry through the room like music. "Came in here and saw everything. And I know a secret just kills a six year old."

I felt the tears I had been fighting overflow my eyes, leaving salty trails down my face. But they were warm tears of joy that I didn't mind showing to everyone in the room. I truly felt a sense of belonging deep in my soul, a sense of love and friendship floated in the air all around me. But as always, when I became too comfortable with the way my life was now - something would nag at me. So softly that if I weren't always paying it close attention, I wouldn't hear it at all. "Remember..." the voice echoed through my thoughts, playing havoc with the peace that I reached for daily. The calmness that I yearned for with my entire soul, but was always just beyond my grasping finger tips. "See the blood... taste the bitterness of death..."

"Usako?"

I blinked, pushing back the voice that seemed to get louder the longer I listened to it. Mamo-chan hovered over me, a worried glint in his eyes. I tried to smile, but I'm sure the movement my lips made didn't reach my eyes. "I've been calling your name repeatedly, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I lied, forcing myself to think happy thoughts so that my eyes would twinkle with my laughter. "I'm just so happy about all of this! I can't believe you all did this without me even suspecting." I looked past Mamo-chan, realizing for the first time that we were alone in the room.

The blank expression of confusion on my face must have shone just as clearly as looking through a window pane. Mamo-chan said nothing, although it seemed on the tip of his tongue to continue asking questions about my prolonged silence. He took my hand, helping me to my feet before placing his lips softly on my forehead.

"Hurry Mama, Papa!" Shingo gasped, coming to a screeching halt in the bedroom door way and grasping the door frame for balance. "Everyone is waiting to start the movie!"

We watched my younger brother take off down the hallway again, and Mamo-chan stared after him with a look of utter disbelief on his face. "Did he just call me...?"

"Papa," I laughed, this time feeling real joy travel through my veins. "He asked me this morning if you could be his Papa too. I didn't think you would mind." When Mamo-chan didn't answer, I looked up at him to see his sensuous lips curve into a smile. I reached up and kissed his jaw, loving the way his arm automatically encircled my waist. Determinedly I shoved away my thoughts of death and damnation.

I would regret ignoring these warnings.

* * *

That night sleep stayed beyond my grasping finger tips. I moved, pushing the covers off and then pulling them back up. I tossed, turned, sweated and chilled. No matter which way I moved, nothing made me comfortable. Chibi-Usa kicked wildly, sometimes so painful that I gasped. Several times I resisted the urge to get up so that Mamo-chan could claim the sleep that eluded me. The small digits on the clock beside our bed read 11:59 p.m. when I finally could take it no more and got up. My mother always gave me a warm glass of milk to help me sleep, and with these thoughts in my head I quietly stole out of the bedroom. But instead of going to the kitchen, I walked thoughtlessly towards Shingo's bedroom. My mind was strangly blank as I found myself at his door. Scarier still, that I don't remember anything at all, as if thinking weren't involved. Something pulled me towards his room, something I couldn't feel, but knew all the same. Something evil.

I turned the knob, trying to push open the door. It wouldn't budge. I heard nothing but the sound of my frantically beating heart. Oh Lord, what was wrong? "Shingo?" I called, putting all my strength into my efforts to open the door. "Shingo?!" In the back of my thoughts I heard the grandfather clock in the living room as it tolled the hour of midnight; the witching hour.

I pushed harder, digging my heels into the floor of the hallway. A cold mist rose up from the crack under the door, sending goose bumps up and down my legs. The door handle turned colder, freezing my hands as I continued to push on the door. "SHINGO?!" Ice formed in the groves of the wood, my panting breath visible. I was freezing. My lungs contracting sent pain through my entire body. Still I pushed on, wondering where Mamo-chan was. Scared of what was happening.

"SHINGO! ANSWER ME!" I screamed. Still silence. I began to sob, fearing the tears would freeze before dropping off my chin - that's how cold I felt.

Without warning the door threw open, causing me to fall sharply on my stomach. Pain shot through my body, but the fear I felt seemed worse than the physical pain. I gritted my teeth, turning over on my back and looking around the room. Under any other circumstances the ice hanging poetically off every surface would have been beautiful. In this case, it terrified me. Shingo was nowhere in sight. Pain continued through out my body, and a warm liquid spilled down my legs, making my pajama pants cling desperately to me like a second skin. Shaking from the cold and terror, I felt of my leg.

Warm... sticky warm.

Blood.

The baby.

"MAMO-CHAN!"

 **-End Chapter 11.**

BUWHAHAHAHAHA! Okay, so now that I feel better... *coughs up lung or two*

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Duh.

I'm working on the next chapter at work tonight, so hopefully I get it done by tomorrow morning when I come home and go to sleep. If not, it maybe be a day (I know, the horror! LOL) because we are heading to the pool tomorrow to get a big ole dose of vitamin D.

Thank you guys for reading, following, reviewing - I love to hear from you!

God Bless!  
Beth


	12. Give and Take

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 12 - Give and Take**

The cold became unbearable as lay on my back in the doorway to Shingo's room. Mamo-chan had run to call an ambulance a few minutes ago. Since then I found myself staring at the ceiling, unnaturally fascinated by the ice that became thicker by the moment. My stomach contracted again, sending a wave of pain over my entire body. I tried to block it out, think around it. I could hear a nursery rhyme in my head - over and over again until I began singing along with it. I felt detached; not suffering from premature labor - or worse, a miscarriage.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word... Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird..."

"Usako."

Usako? My little bunny, how cute. Who was calling me that? I turned my head to the side in time to see Mamo-chan breathlessly slide into the room and fall to his knees beside me. He grabbed my hand and pushed my bangs away from my eyes. "It's okay, baby. The ambulance is on its way. You'll both be okay." The longer he spoke, and with the urgency I felt from his words, I knew he was trying to tell himself that as much as me.

His voice harshly shoved away the illusions that had threatened me minutes before. "Shingo," I whispered, the cold of the room freezing my vocal cords. "She has him..."

I wanted to say more, but another pain gripped my stomach, over loading my senses with sharp pain and fear. The pain came in another wave, so bad I nearly passed out. I began crying again, gasping air although the pain in my chest was nearly as bad as the pain in my abdomen. "Mamo-chan." I felt the darkness closing in around me, slowly and comforting as a warm blanket. "Mamo-chan. I'm scared..."

Everything pitch black now, I barely heard Mamo-chan: "I know, love. I am, too." The last was whispered so softly I didn't know if it was Mamo-chan who said it or me.

The comforting darkness that had taken me away from my world of pain was broken by the sound of voices. Like the volume on a radio being turned up, they became louder until I noted the shortness of the commands coming from whom I assumed to be a doctor. With what small strength I could muster, I forced my eyelids open.

White; the tile on the ceiling above me, the light in my eyes and the masks over the face of every person in my view. It seemed to be all around me, blinding me as I blinked back some of my shock. "She's coming to!" someone announced, though with everything so hazy and everyone wearing a white mask I couldn't tell who was speaking. The more my senses returned, the more pain that accompanied it.

The next person above me would have been just as indistinguishable from everyone else except for the deep blue of his eyes and the tears that stayed unreleased in their realms. "Mamo-chan," I squeaked, not recognizing my voice as my own. It sounded like it would belong to a frightened child, not a mother to be.

He bent over, pressing his lips to mine briefly. "It's okay Usako. The doctor is going to give you something to make you sleep. Don't be afraid." I heard his voice trying to reassure me, undoubtedly my fear written plainly on my face. "I'm right here." Darkness, deeper and more frightening than anything I've yet to experience, began to pull me from Mamo-chan. I whimpered. "I love you, Usako," Mamo-chan said in my ear, his voice slowly fading from me.

"I love you..."

I remembered nothing until I woke up again. Any memories were permanently erased from my mind just like one would delete a character on the computer screen. There was an overwhelming smell of antiseptic in my nostrils as I painfully sat up. The room around me was small, consisting only of a chair and a table beside my bed. In the chair was the Senshi of Love, her blond hair falling around her as she sat with her knees curled up to her chest. Sensing someone watching her, she blinked her blue eyes open and stared at me a moment. "Usagi-chan," she gasped, sitting up quickly and scrubbing the sleep from her eyes. "How long have you been awake?"

I didn't answer her; I couldn't. My body ached all over, a dull ache. Without consciously knowing what it was I was doing, I reached for my stomach. In one terrifying moment all my memories returned. I gasped, a sob stuck in my throat and tears filling and falling quickly from my eyes. "Minako-chan," I mumbled, scared; so very scared. "What happened?" I whispered. She made no movement to indicate that she was going to say anything. The longer she just stared at me, tears filling her blue eyes, the more upset I began.

Finally I shrieked: "What happened to Chibi-Usa?!"

Minako - usually so graceful, walked over to my bed slowly and seemingly with cramps in her legs. Without speaking, she sat beside me on the bed, her hand reaching for my own. "You fell on your stomach; hard. And Mamoru-san found you in a pool of blood..." Her eyes went glassy, remembering, and so, reliving things I couldn't even recall. "He called us from the ambulance and said you had gone into premature labor. When we got here and Mamoru told us... he said the baby had the cord wrapped around its neck." My eyes stared at her unbelieving. No! I wanted to scream. No! God wouldn't take my daughter a second time. I just knew...

Minako twisted her hands in front of her like she was wringing a wet cloth. "When they finally got her out, she was blue. So blue... But the doctors worked on her. And when Mamoru-san told us she started crying, he started crying so hard..."

I couldn't believe my ears. I wanted to laugh, to smile, but all I could do was cry. My throat threatened to close, my chest sending waves of pain through my chest as I sobbed into the palms of my hands. I couldn't stop crying my relief, even when I heard Minako leave the room and Mamo-chan came in. I felt him wrap his arms around me, giving me the security of his love that I craved. I continued to cry until my eyes refused to produce any more tears. Mamo-chan hugged me tightly, crying with me, whispering words that didn't half make sense to my exhausted mind. The exhaustion pulled me back under without my permission.

* * *

May 19, 5:43 a.m. - Chiba Usagi Tomoko* was brought into this world four weeks and three days early. Even though, she didn't need the help breathing Mamo-chan and I feared she might and managed to avoid the neonatal stay. Weighing five pounds and seven ounces, she was perfect in everyway. From her ten tiny perfect toes to the small patch of strawberry blonde hair on top her head - I couldn't get over the joy of my first-born daughter. Even the sounds of her cries were music to my ears.

But this time of what should have been complete happiness for Mamo-chan and I was not to be. For the same night that had found my child born, also robbed me of another. The Senshi had gone to the apartment, but to my eternal horror found no trace of my younger brother. Rei walked in my hospital room, Luna hid in her large bag. The rest of the inner Senshi followed and shut the door so that my guardian cat could safely emerge. I looked up from feeding my daughter hopefully, but they needn't say a word - it was written on their faces.

"We found no trace of the ice you and Mamoru-san spoke of," Rei fumbled with the words, obviously being the only one who was willing to speak up. Luna jumped onto the bed and came over to examine my child. "There is no evidence of a forced entry, either. Almost looks like Shingo disappeared into thin air."

I bit my bottom lip to keep from crying out. Would my life always be like this? I wondered. One good thing followed by bad? Forever would I always hold back from any good thing to come along for fear of the bad that was sure to follow? And what I feared most had finally come to pass. My past had caught up with me a second time - this time to claim my baby brother.

The silence in the room was finally broken by Luna, her voice strained as she spoke. "Chibi-Usa is a beautiful baby. So well behaved, like you were as an infant." It had never occurred to me that Luna had been around so long that she could remember my birth on the Moon. "The birth of a royal heir to the Moon Kingdom," she continued. "Is a wonderful thing, a cause to celebrate."

"Royal heir?" I mumbled. Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. I looked at the sleeping babe in my arms, pressed close to my chest so she would be comforted by my beating heart. "No." Tears I had successfully held back most of the day tore free from their imprisonment and down my face. "I want more for her than the life I had. Forgive me, Mother, but I want more."

Mamo-chan slipped slowly in the room, closing the door behind him. "More than being a Princess?" Ami asked incredibly.

I looked into my love's deep blue eyes - eyes that sparkled with the same hope and love for our child that I felt - and I knew he wanted the same things. "Yes, more," I replied, my voice taking on a determined edge. "I want her to live a normal life, free from the constrictions and responsibilities of a Princess."

Luna shook her head at me in obvious pity. But I wasn't a fool; I knew how hard it would be. It was a price I was willing to pay.

* * *

Everyone had looked, searched and looked some more. There was no clue, nothing that helped us pin point where Shingo was or who had taken him. Mamo-chan told me the night Chibi-Usa was born I had told him "She" took Shingo. I looked at him in shock, for I had no idea who this "She" was, nor had I remembered telling him this. "Mamo-chan, are you sure I said that?" I asked him again as he pulled the car away from the curb of the hospital.

Home. I was going home with my love and our new baby. But with Shingo gone, so was all the smiles and laughter that should be ours on this day. Today marked the fifth day he had been missing. The police was combing Tokyo and the surrounding cities. The inner and outer Senshi searched every where they could possibly think. Still no clues. The only bright light in this dark time was how well Chibi-Usa was doing, considering she had been born premature. And that my body (probably being helped along with the silver crystal, according to Dr. Minzuno) had completely healed from childbirth. I appreciated Dr. Minzuno as my doctor more and more when I wouldn't have to explain to anyone why I was healing super fast.

Mamo-chan looked throughtful as he pulled into the apartment parking garage. "Usako, when I found you, you were in a lot of pain. It could have been that pain and fear talking, but you did say it."

I tried to remember that night, but everything was hazy; unclear. So much like the memories that had eluded me so long. But was an eternity ago, more like it happened in another lifetime. Holes, gaps in my swiss-cheese memory that only allowed me to remember certain things. The cold, the blood, and the fear - all that was vivid. Words or actions that lead me up to waking up in the hospital were gone. As gone as Shingo seemed to be. Even the days in the hospital flew by with almost an urgency to them.

"We're home!" Mamo-chan announced with forced cheerfulness.

He looked over at my tear-filled eyes and sighed. I felt him take my hand and press his lips to my knuckles to kiss them softly. "We'll find him," he promised. Somehow I found it hard to believe him. But without that belief, what did I have to hold on to?

I forced a smile to my face as I picked up Chibi-Usa from her car seat. She seemed subdued though, and I imagined she could feel my sadness through my cheerful facade. I covered her small face with kisses and held her close as we went into the elevator and to our home. The entry way was dark when we entered the apartment; giving it a forbidden feeling. I swallowed hard, holding my baby closer to me. I couldn't release the air caught in my lungs until Mamo-chan flipped the light. Turning the video camera on, he zoomed in on the baby who was staring straight ahead with little interest.

"Chibi-Usa," he cooed, reaching out with his free hand to push the blanket away from her face, "smile for Papa. Come on, smile." When she didn't respond the way he wanted, he pulled the camera up to my face. "There's the world's most beautiful new mother."

"Oh Mamo-chan, I look horrible," I insisted, even as I felt a blush redden my cheeks. "I'm going to put Chibi-Usa in her crib so I can unpack." Mamo-chan followed me into the nursery and videoed the room and the baby while I began removing gifts of clothes, blankets, diapers and toys we received in the hospital.

As long as I could keep busy, I could keep my thoughts from wondering. But as I refolded a blanket the fourth time, I knew it was inevitable. With my arms wrapped tightly around my mid-section, I decided to face my fears head on. There was only one way to get any peace: I had to go to Shingo's room.

With already watering eyes, I found myself at Shingo's bedroom door and reaching for the handle.

"Don't."

Gasping, I spun around. My drumming heart beat even faster when I found myself alone in the hallway. "Mamo-chan?" I nearly whispered. It has to be my imagination, I told myself when no one responded. Resolutely I turned around and opened the door quickly. Shadowing the beige carpet a dark brown was a large area of dried blood near the door. Other than that there was no sign of anything amiss. I half expected Shingo to walk in the door, demanding to know why I was in his room. I held my breath in waiting, but the only sound was my own quicken heartbeat and finally the sound of my breathing.

Under the small crack of the closet door the floor was bathed in a soft light. Had the light in there been on before? I couldn't recall, nor imagine why it was on. Maybe one of the Senshi left it on, I reasoned with myself and stepped towards the door and opened it.

My eyes flitted from the small light bulb and the string that dangled from it and to the floor. My hand gripped the doorway so hard that the wood creaked underneath. Laying on the cold floor of the closet, curled up in a fetal position, was Shingo. A felt a small smile of insanity flicker across my lips. I'm seeing things. I want him to be here so bad that I'm imagining it. I closed my eyes, knowing when I reopened them that he would be gone. I reopened them - he was still there! "Shingo...?" I whispered, falling to my knees and pulling him into my arms. His head rolled to the side, his labored breathing seeming to take all the energy he had every time he inhaled. His entire body felt hot and his face looked gaunt and hollow from the contrast of paleness and the red flush of fever that stained his cheeks.

I tried to stand up, but couldn't with his dead weight in my arms. Going for Mamo-chan, leaving Shingo alone, wasn't an option in my numb mind. "M... Mamo-chan!" I screamed. Shingo didn't move as I screamed again for Mamo-chan. I heard him running down the hall, but it seemed to take forever. And Shingo's face was so pale, and his breathing... I swallowed, determined not to panic.

Forever (or a few seconds) passed until I saw Mamo-chan looking in Chibi-Usa's nursery. "Usako, where are you?" he called. Before I could find my voice to call him again, he came through the bedroom doorway. "Nani..?" His eyes fell on Shingo in my lap and he rushed forward with lightening speed. I watched him take my young brother and lay him on the bed.

The entire time he checked him over, I rocked back and forth, sobbing - my eyes locked on Shingo's pale face. Mamo-chan turned to me. "Go call Ami." His voice was calm, but his eyes revealed the urgency. I stood on legs that wanted to fold under me like melted butter, my feet remained nailed to the floor by fear. Unable to move, I stared at him like he had asked for the Moon and stars. "Go!"

I sobbed more as I ran down the hallway and picked up my purse. I fumbled, digging for several long minutes before I dumped the contents on the floor. My communicator spun across the counter and I grabbed it, pressing all the buttons at once. "Ami-chan!" I practically screamed into the tiny speaker. "Ami, please!"

Almost instantly all the colors on the compact lit up and Ami's face appeared on the screen. I knew I had never been happier to see her in my life. "We found Shingo-" I gasped for breath, but I didn't have to continue. Ami promised to be here in a minute and signed off. The rest of the Senshi lights went off as well. Blankly I stared at the screen.

My trance was broken by Mamo-chan carrying Shingo into the bathroom. When I followed, I found Mamo-chan running a cool bath and trying to take Shingo's clothes off. I wanted to move forward, to help. But the sight of him provoked more fear in me. I ran out of the room and towards the nursery where Chibi-Usa was crying. Her wailing stopped as I turned into the room. With the shade drawn, the evening sun hardly cast anything in the room except long shadows - coloring black the face of the person holding my child. "Who are you?" I demanded, stepping forward in the room. "Give me my baby." My voice carried more authority than even I knew I possessed. I didn't allow my surprise to show, however. The anger in my veins filled me with renewed strength that also lead way for a calmness that made my voice seem to boom throughout the room. I wanted to rush forward and grab Chibi-Usa, but I feared what the person holding her would do if I moved.

In the hall behind me, I heard Rei talking. Her voice became louder, and I expected her to come in the nursery. Instead she stopped in front of the bathroom door. I walked further in the room, taking pains to keep alert to any movements the woman in front of me made. The light from the hall cast a pale glow on her waist length green hair. Green hair? I thought. Why did it seem so familiar? I shook my head. The important thing here was that she was in my daughter's bedroom and was holding her. "Give me my baby," I demanded again. The woman turned, her profile lit up momentarily by the sun peeking around the edges of the shade. I gasped.

"Certainly, Princess." I stared at Setsuna as she gently handed Chibi-Usa to me. "Your child is quite the small lady, Princess. Beautiful, like her mother and her mother's mother."

I continued to gape. Before I could find my voice, Rei and Makoto came in the room. Rei walked straight to the small lamp beside the crib and flicked the light on, her violet eyes turning suspicious almost instantly. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" I backed out of the room, still holding Chibi-Usa tightly in my arms.

Tears streaked down my flushed face as fear replaced the anger that had fueled me so well earlier. "Something is going on here. Something no one is telling me." My thoughts that were so jumbled up in my mind but, surprisingly, they came out the way I intended. "First Shingo disappears, and just as unexplainably reappears with a dangerously high fever and now I find Setsuna holding my child when I didn't even know you were in my house?!" My voice, which had started out as a whisper, was shrill by the time my last words came out. "WHAT IS GOING ON THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT?" In my arms Chibi-Usa began crying in earnest now.

"Usagi-chan," Mako-chan put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "Let me take the baby and get her a bottle. You can sit and talk to Setsuna, and get this all figured out." The voice of reason she spoke with almost had me convinced, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. Something big. And I didn't want Chibi-Usa to leave my sight for even a tenth of a second.

"No," I whispered dangerously low. My heart continued to beat faster than normal and I felt like I had stepped in a tub of ice water. Makoto continued to stare at me like I had grown two heads. But at the moment I didn't honestly care what anyone else thought. "Taste the bitterness of death..." The words were said aloud, just as clearly and as threatening as the voice that had warned me not to enter Shingo's room. I tried to ignore it, but persistency was high - I felt myself back into a wall. "Noooo, please don't..."

"Usagi?" Rei came towards me, behind her a black mist swirled - lacing around her body. My eyes became wide with terror that no one else seemed to understand. Why was Makoto just standing there, staring at me? Didn't she see Rei was in danger?

"See the blood..." I shut my eyes, hoping when I reopened them that this would all be some nightmare. When I blinked my eyes open, Rei's eyes flashed solid black. "...bitterness of death..." Every time that voice came, something happened. I wanted to help her, but I knew I had to get Chibi-Usa to a safe place. Rei reached out for me, but I ducked under her arms and sprinted out the door and across the hall.

Mamo-chan was holding Shingo up in the tub, Ami sitting beside him with her computer out. I looked around frantically, making sure all was clear before slamming the door behind me. "Ami-chan... Mamo-chan..." Chibi-Usa screamed in my arms, her shrill voice becoming louder. Before I could catch my breath to tell them what I saw, Ami's computer began beeping madly.

She looked at it, her eyes flashing towards the little boy in the tub and back to the computer screen. "Nani?!" she shrieked, standing up. I watched what unfolded as though I were watching something on television, and any second I could change the channel. This surely wasn't happening, surely! Mamo-chan stood up as well, pushing Ami behind him even though she continued to type madly on her computer. The small body of my younger brother sat up, his head turning oddly towards us. For a moment the room went quiet and then his pale arm lifted out of the water and pointed towards me. His eyes snapped open, and I screamed.

"Do you see the blood?" the throaty voice asked, hissing the word 'see' like a snake might. Small tears of red liquid dripped from his eyes, making zig zagging trails down his face. "All of you and yours will taste the bitterness of death..." His void black eyes rested on me, his finger still out stretched. The water he sat in began boiling, large bubbled coming to surface and then exploding into the air. The steam rose, the heat lingering visibly in the air.

I opened my mouth to scream, but the sound refused to form. I began shaking my head until finally I felt my voice box release. A howl of terror echoed through the room. Shingo's body turned a bright red, the steam now coming off his body as well as the water. Before my very eyes, my brother was being scalded to death and I couldn't move! All I could do was scream, over and over and over again. Scream, and then scream more. When the heat reached his head, causing the skin to shrink and burn before my eyes Mamo-chan snapped out of his shocked trance and turned around, pressing me to his chest.

I tried to struggle free, but he held me firmly. "Don't look, Usako," he begged, holding me close. "Don't."

Shingo didn't scream or even make any noise to indicate human pain. The only sound to reach my ears was the sizzling sounds of burnt skin hitting the water. I felt my knees fail me and I slid down the wall, still holding Chibi-Usa - into the darkness.

* * *

I woke up over a period that seemed to take hours. Every small step towards awareness that I made, I recoiled into the peaceful silence of my mind. Voices would come and go, and then light would seep into my eyes - only to be shut out again. Only when I heard the soft cries of my daughter, followed by Mamo-chan trying to rock her to sleep, did I find the strength to leave the quiet, dark prison in my mind. My head felt like a train had just rolled through, it pounded so hard. The light was as harsh as looking into the sun, and just as blinding. I squinted, sitting up slowly so that I wouldn't become dizzy. Mamo-chan was sitting across from me in a rocking chair, talking softly to Chibi-Usa. The sight touched my heart deeply. It wasn't until I tore my eyes from them that I noticed that I wasn't at home. From the stuffed animals that lined every shelf, and part of the bed I was laying on, I guessed I was in Minako's room. Mamo-chan looked up, smiled at me, and laid Chibi-Usa in the portable cradle I had found at a second hand store.

I started to stand up, but Mamo-chan rushed over and sat me back down. I looked up at him, my memories coming back the longer I was up. Suddenly I wished I hadn't gotten up at all. "Shingo...?" I whispered.

Mamo-chan sat down on the bed beside me, taking both my hands in his and squeezing them tightly. His blue eyes meet mine and I couldn't stop gazing back. "That wasn't him." The words that came so easy from his lips were more than a little difficult for me to understand. That wasn't him? But it was! I had held him, and then watched as he... Oh, God! I felt a sob choke my throat, preventing me from gasping the air I so desperately needed. "But..."

"No, Usako," my love reassured me. "It wasn't him. Ami examined what was left in the tub, but it wasn't even human. I don't know what it was, she is still testing samples." At my blank stare, he pulled me close. "Shingo is alive. Don't worry, we'll find him."

I could remember the smell of burnt flesh, the boiling water and the evil. Evil. Blackness, black eyes... "Rei-chan? Where is Rei-chan and Mako-chan?" I asked, leaning out of his embrace and looking quickly towards the door. It was closed tight. I shivered, a cold settling in my body that I'm sure no amount of heat would take away.

Mamo-chan brushed my hair away from my forehead so that he could gently place a kiss there. I felt tense, frightened and I couldn't stop trembling. Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my body as close to his warm one as I could. "Hey now," he whispered in my ear. "It's okay, Usako." His arms encircled my body, but his embrace didn't bring me the complete calmness that I yearned for. I bit my bottom lip so hard I could taste blood, but still I gripped Mamo-chan like my only life raft in a sea of evil. "Look, when you are ready the Outer Senshi are here and they want to talk to you. It seems they know more about this enemy that we do, and have finally decided that we should know everything." Mamo-chan's lips grazed my ear. "But no one is rushing you, okay?"

"Enemy?" I mumbled, confused. "But Beryl is dead..."

"It seems that she was only a battle won, we still have a war ahead of us. But that is all they have said so far, everyone is waiting for you to feel up to talking."

I nodded my head and allowed Mamo-chan to help me to my feet. I gazed over at the portable crib and at the face of my sleeping baby. "Is it safe to leave her here?"

"We can take her into the living room with us, if that would make you feel better," Mamo-chan suggested lightly. I nodded and watched as he picked the small cradle up and together we went into the living room. Minako's parents were very well off, and now that they were retired, they traveled more often than not. From what I had gotten Minako to tell me, they were out of town so much that Artemis had practically raised her for the last five years. At the moment they were in the Hawaii islands.

Mamo-chan and I descended the carpeted stairs slowly, taking in the paintings and murals that hung on the walls. The staircase came to a small landing before turning, and just above a table holding a potted plant was a stain glass window depicting a wonderful sea scene. The hand carved banisters was made of cherry, adding to the richness of the appearance. The house seemed more like a museum than a home, however. Everything looked like it had come off the show room floor, gleaming with an untouched look. I could never imagine feeling at home in the immense space, it lacked any warmth whatsoever.

Mamo-chan directed me to the sitting room and we found the inner and outer Senshi waiting for my arrival. He put the crib down next to the sofa and I sat down, nodding at the Outer Senshi as I did so. "Konnichi' wa, minna," I said evenly. There was a look of seriousness on the Outer Senshi's faces, even sterner than they normally wore when we meet. At the moment there was only Sailor Neptune, Uranus and Saturn. "Where is Pluto?"

"Here." I heard the voice, but couldn't pin point where it was coming from. It took a minute for me to realize that Setsuna was the one speaking. Mamo-chan duplicated my stunned expression as the taller woman walked into the room, Pluto's Time Key in hand. She walked over to the fireplace, next to the Outer Senshi and met my eyes. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We will try to answer what we can, and then all of us decide on the proper action to be taken."

Like a play that had been rehearsed time and time again, the Outer Senshi each let go of their henshin one at a time. My grip on the sofa's arm was so tight I couldn't feel my fingers anymore. In my mind I had known - I really had. Of course I had known Haruka and Michiru were Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. But seeing them sitting on the couch in front of me, like goddesses stepping out of a movie screen, took a moment to get used to. I glanced at Mamo-chan, but it was obvious he already knew all of the Outer Senshi's identities. The only one who took me by complete surprise, at this point, was Hotaru. Little, sweet Hotaru. I had spoken to, fought beside, and secretly admired the petite girl. But to see her sitting between her parents was triggering something in me. Perhaps a mothering instinct. I couldn't imagine her fighting.

Setsuna, still the only one of the Outer Senshi to speak as of yet, sat down on a settee across from me and began to tell us a story of evil, decades of power struggle - and how it all centered on me. I suppose this was just one in a million things I would learn many things in my life that I didn't want to.

 **-End Chapter 12.**

Chiba Usagi Tomoko* - Since Usagi doesn't want her having the Princess tag line, she and Mamoru named her Tomoko after his mother (I love AU, gives me much more space to work with!) Speaking of, I don't like Chibi-Usa's red eyes. I mean, let's think about this, her mother and father both have blue eyes, her grandparent (that we have seen) has blue eyes, and she has... red? So, again with my AU licence here, she has blue. They are going to stay blue and that's that ^^

I want to thank everyone who has emailed me, as well as read and review *hugs* You guys are the best ^_^

I posted this last night before I left work without giving it a last look over, so if you happen to be reading this for the second time and notice a few things that are different (like the longer author's notes!) it is because I was rushing and shouldn't have been. After I got home I realized my mistake, but by then we were heading out to a cook out at my cousin's and I didn't have time to change it. (Cook out + 6 hours in a pool = a horrible sunburn, btw!)

I'm working on the next chapter, The Past Comes a Haunting, in just a minute and hopefully will have it out tonight or tomorrow morning.

Thank you so much for your support of this story!

God bless,  
Beth


	13. The Past Comes A Haunting

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally Released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 13 - The Past Comes a Haunting**

The sound of a pin dropping on the hardwood floors would have caused an echo, I was sure. The silence was thick between us and the Outer Senshi - and uncomfortable. I was thankful when Setsuna finally began speaking. "The Silver Milieum was a time of peace in the solar system. The only remote trace of hostility was between the Earth and Moon. But it was so scarce that we never suspected something coming of it. And maybe it wouldn't have, except for a much stronger force invading the universe." The Senshi of Time closed her eyes, clutching the Time Staff and drawing it closer to her, as if drawing strength from it.

"I could do nothing at the time of the invasion outside of warn the planets in its path. One by one Uranus, Neptune and Saturn were defeated. By passing the inner planets without our notice, it attacked Earth with its powerful grip - taking over completely. With the destruction of the Earth Kingdom, the Moon was the only authority left in the solar system that could fight. The power of the Silver Crystal was strong, and would have prevailed eventually. The power behind the evil knew this, and therefore took a different direction - something no one could have prepared for.

"By this time the Queen's daughter - Princess Serenity - had already fallen in love with the Earth prince. It was no secret, despite what the young couple thought. But there was someone else, someone who also lusted after the young heir to the Earthian throne; Beryl. Tapping into her jealousy, the evil Metallia played on Beryl's desires and fed her power. When the final battle of Earth came, Endymion refused Beryl and she became enraged. Promising Beryl that she could have revenge, Metallia lead Beryl and her followers to the Moon where she tried to kill the Princess."

I couldn't remember the last time I blinked. I felt Mamo-chan gripping my hand, but sensed nothing else. Everything that I had wanted to know for so long was being laid before me. I had always thought it was by random chance that I the Earth maiden had targeted me. I had no idea she had lusted after Endymion and I was her specific goal. Somehow the knowledge made me that much sadder for Endymion - Mamo-chan - to have jumped in front of the blow. The image came to my mind with the words and a shiver ran down my spine. I pressed myself closer to Mamo-chan's side.

"I believe you know what happened after that, Endymion took the blow meant for Serenity and fell. In her grief, the Princess killed herself. Queen Serenity, seeing everything from afar, locked Metallia away and sent all the Star Seeds to the future. Her last breath was that promise to her daughter, the promise of rebirth with her Prince, which is the reason we are all here today." Setsuna sat back like the effort it took to say all of this drained her. She sighed, her eyes closing for a long moment.

If the memories were as weighted with grief as they felt to me, I could imagine why she would be exhausted. "But what does this have to do with now? And Shingo?" I mumbled, afraid that if I spoke too loud I would break the spell that had been cast over everyone in the room.

For a long minute no one spoke. Finally Haruka began, leaving off where Setsuna had stopped, acting like I had never spoken. "When Queen Serenity released the power of the Moon, Metallia was locked away and sent to the far reaches of the solar system. It has taken her thousands of years to work her way back to Earth. When she finally made it back to take over Beryl again, she was weak. That is the reason for all the Youma who drained human energy. But now that Beryl is dead, she needs another body to do her bidding. For all we know, she needed it all along."

"We suspect," Michiru began in her soft voice, "that she has been trying to take several humans for this, but none were capable of with standing her power and not resist it."

My eyes grew so wide they hurt. Flashbacks... bruises that covered Shingo's body... Youma's trying to take him... Beryl's desire for my unborn baby... I choked on the sob that rose in my throat. I simply couldn't find the words to ask the questions burning in my mind. And even more, I feared the answers. Mamo-chan must have been thinking the same thing as I; only he could say what I found too hard. "Would there be any markings on a body it tried to take? Any evidence?"

Hotaru's eyes sparked interest, but said nothing before Michiru nodded. "Dark splotches, bruising perhaps." Her delicate eyebrows rose at the look of utter despair on my face. "Did Shingo have any of these signs?" I didn't have to answer; the look on my face said it all. Michiru nodded like she was confirming an earlier thought.

"But the bruising stopped months ago, didn't it Usagi?" Rei fumbled, obviously as taken back by this information as I was. "Then surely that means-"

"That only confirms that he wasn't strong enough to fight it off," Setsuna interrupted her, bursting my small bubble of hope. "Evil to the body is like a disease, it feeds off the system. The bruises indicated his body fighting it off, when they stopped appearing; his body no longer had any resistance. How long ago was the last bruising?"

"Nearly four months ago," I mumbled. I just couldn't believe what they were saying. For months, under my nose, the enemy had been feeding evil into Shingo? But how... and more importantly: "Why are you telling me this now? When it's too late to stop them? This is information you should have shared before." I looked them all in the eye in turn, feeling especially hostile towards Haruka and perhaps Setsuna.

Haruka smirked with the arrogance of Uranus. Only they were one and the same. But how? The moody, self-persistent Sailor Uranus and the courteous Haruka that had helped me that day in the rain...? "If we had known about the condition Shingo was in, we could have prevented this altogether."

I didn't have time to react to what she was implying before Makoto blew up. "If you had known?" she bellowed, looking as if she were getting madder the longer she thought about it. "Are you saying we were supposed to come crawling to you, tell everything we know, when you didn't even want us around to fight? You have to got to be kidding me!"

Haruka looked to Michiru for help, but the petite Senshi said nothing. Mako-chan and Haruka continued to glare at each other and I thought they may start arguing again, but Hotaru placed herself between them and held her hands up calmly. "Fighting will not help," she said softly, but with a firmness that surprised me. I noticed how pleased Michiru and Setsuna appeared at her performance. "We were wrong, Haruka-papa. And you know that. Demo," she turned her slender body towards Mako-chan, "fighting amongst ourselves will not help Shingo, or our Princess."

Haruka backed up to the fireplace and sulked, Mako-chan doing much the same when she found none of the rest of us would join her crusade. Hotaru turned towards me, her face a mask of serenity. "The first thing we need to do is find Shingo. And hope," she paused, a flickering sadness coming and going in her eyes. "That we are not too late to save him."

It was nearly midnight before the Outer Senshi left, promising they wouldn't be far if I needed them.

"We can protect Usagi-chan just fine," Minako shot back when Haruka said this.

"We'll see," was the Senshi of Uranus' reply before she softly shut the door, putting any further discussion to and end - for now.

"We'll see," Mako-chan mocked, wagging her head. "What the hell does that mean, anyways?"

Mamo-chan rose, holding his hand out to me. Gratefully I took it and stood, gazing at my guardians and the lunar cats. "Let's not argue, onegai. I just want to fine Shingo and restore some sense of peace and order in my life."

Rei nodded thoughtfully. "That's all we want, too."

Mamo-chan and I bid everyone goodnight. And, taking Chibi-Usa, went upstairs to sleep. The guest bedroom Minako had appointed us was quiet large, nearly as big as the living room in our apartment. In the center of the room was a large mahogany bed with four posts that reached towards the ceiling. On either side of the bed was matching nightstands with lamps. A doorway to our right went into the adjoining bath.

Mamo-chan placed Chibi-Usa's crib at the foot of the bed and pulled out a suitcase I hadn't noticed earlier. He caught sight of my wondering gaze and smiled slightly. "Ami grabbed some things we might need..." He opened it up and grabbed a pair of pajama pants for himself and a nightshirt for me.

I changed quickly and crawled in the bed next to Mamo-chan. I stared out the window until I could faintly hear Mamo-chan's deep breathing indicating he was asleep. But no matter how tired I was or how much I longed to fall into a dreamless sleep - I couldn't. Call me crazy, but the silence in this house was getting on my nerves. I longed to hear the noises that were so frequent in our apartment.

I felt Mamo-chan reach out, pulling me towards him. I snuggled against his chest, but still couldn't get comfortable. "What's wrong?" he asked, breaking the silence and nearly scaring me to death since I assumed he was asleep.

"Nothing," I mumbled. I broke free from his arms and got up to check on Chibi-Usa. The moonlight coming in through the window gave her an angelic glow as she slept soundly. Her small fingers were balled into fists above her head and her small chest softly rose and fell with her breathing. Smiling I pulled the pale pink blanket up over her chest and returned to bed. Reassured Chibi-Usa was fine, I lay back on the bed and curled up against my Prince's back once more. Listening to the gentle thumping of his heart, I finally fell into a restless dream.

Over and over I saw Shingo's clone burning in the tub, except in my dream I could hear him screaming. My name, for help... over and over... screaming his pain...

"USAGI!"

I sat up quickly, the dream so vivid I was sure it was real. Beside me Mamo-chan slept on. I breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking surely if someone had been screaming, it would have woken him.

As if on cue, Chibi-Usa stirred and then began crying. I glanced at the clock, surprised that instead of having for only minutes as I had thought, it had been nearly two hours. With my eyes burning, I rolled out of bed and went to the crib. Chibi-Usa's small face was scrunched up and red, her tiny fists waving in the air above her. When I picked her up she calmed some, but not altogether. I didn't want to wake Mamo-chan up (he could get up next time, I figured) I started downstairs.

Such a huge house so late at night seem to take on a life of it's own. Without the sounds of traffic, or life in any form, I thought I could hear the house breathing. I had to laugh at myself, being scared at my age to walk through a dark hall.

No matter what I did or said to myself to try and take the fear away, though, it was persistent. I was thankful when I finally reached the first landing and the kitchen where I could turn the light on and let it chase the shadows back to the corners. Balancing Chibi-Usa in one arm, I felt up the wall for the switch that would turn the kitchen light on. Finally I found it, turned it on... and promptly screamed.

"Easy!" Haruka seemed terribly embarrassed as she jumped up, waving her hands in front of her.

I managed to clamp my mouth down, but my body still shook so badly I feared I would drop the baby. I leaned against the wall for support, all the while gasping for breath. "What are you doing? How did you get in here? Why were you sitting in the dark?" I fired my questions sharply, without so much as pausing for a breath. Chibi-Usa, who had temporarily been shocked by my scream, began wailing again.

I tried to rock her as I glared at Haruka, waiting for an answer. The Senshi of Uranus moved with a feline-like quality; stealthy and graceful, yet very much aware of her surroundings. She pulled a chair out for me and waited until I was seated before she sat across from me. For a few minutes she stared at her clasped hands. When she didn't say anything, even I glanced at what held her interest to see if the answer were somehow there and I hadn't taken notice.

Chibi-Usa continued to cry, and seeing no other choice, I began feeding her. Even though I told myself that I shouldn't be, I couldn't help being self conscience - even embarrassed - to breast feed in front of Haruka. I tried to place the blanket over my shoulder and when I finally got her arranged, set my attention back on the Sailor of Uranus.

Haruka seemed oblivious to what I was doing, as well as to the blush that tinted my face red. When she looked up, her expression was as solemn as death as she finally began speaking. "The truth is, I was... I wanted to make sure everything was alright." Her eyes shifted from mine almost as soon as she completed her excuse. I wondered if she really thought I was gullible enough to believe that was her only motives.

I narrowed my eyes, embarrassment forgotten. I was determined to understand this person. After all, we were all Senshi - surely we could get along. "The Inner Senshi and Mamo-chan are more than qualified to protect me, I believe," I retorted in a dry tone that sounded remarkably like the one she had used on us many times before. "Why don't you be honest for once, hmm? Tell me the real reason you're sitting in Minako's kitchen, by yourself, at three in the morning."

An emotion that bordered on respect flickered across Haruka's face briefly before she meet my accusing gaze without so much as blinking. A few tense seconds passed until finally she looked down again, a few blonde strains of hair gently caressing her forehead. She looked beyond her clasped hands, though, to a memory that I couldn't see - but I felt she could, more clearly than she would like. "It's strange, really, that I can remember some things with such clarity and others not at all. I can see the day my planet fell like it had happened only moments ago. I was meeting with members of my head guard; we were discussing the impending enemy when the alarms sounded. I fought with all I had; we all did. But in the end, it wasn't enough. I watched my childhood friends get blown to pieces; I watched members of my family crumple up and die all around me. We gave it our all, and when we had no more to give it moved on to conquer the next planet."

I hadn't noticed until now what a deep, manly voice Haruka had. I felt so moved by the way she spoke softly, painfully. She looked up at me again, her eyes glassy. "I failed you that day, Princess. I'm not going to do it again."

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until she finished. I exhaled deeply, feeling tears spring behind my eyes. I had only thought of myself up until now, how I had been affected by everything that had happened. But I wasn't the only one whose life had been destroyed. There was thousands whose world ended with mine. I glanced down, Chibi-Usa's eyes were half closed and she lazily drank some milk and then stopped to doze for a moment or two. I tried to think of something to say, something of comfort, but I could think of nothing; nor did I have time to.

The sound of footsteps caught our attention and I looked up expectantly just as Mamo-chan came to the entryway. "There you are," he mumbled, walking further in the room. He glanced at Haruka after rubbing his hands over his face, nodded briefly, and looked back to me.

"I was just coming back to bed." Without saying a word, I knew that he wouldn't go back upstairs without me. When I was sure Chibi-Usa was asleep again, I stood. Before I walked out of the kitchen, though, I looked back at the blonde Senshi, seeing her in a different light. "Thank you, Haruka-san." She said nothing as I left and ascended the stairs. But she didn't need to say anything, I understood perfectly.

* * *

The morning sun filtered by the sheer curtains the following morning pulled me awake. I stretched my body out, feeling around beside me for Mamo-chan. When all that greeted me was an empty bed, my eyes snapped open. It didn't take long to find him, though. He was at Chibi-Usa's crib - attempting to change her diaper. I got out of the bed, yawning as I did so, and stepped up to the other side of the crib. He stood back, obviously proud, but the corner of his mouth twisted with confuse. "Why does it look funny?"

I stifled a laugh and went around the crib, pointing to our daughter's bulky diaper. "You have to pull her bottom up to get the diaper under her." Undoing the diaper, I pulled her small feet up so that I could put the diaper in place.

Mamo-chan flinched when I had finished and looked up at him. "Doesn't it hurt her to pull her legs up like that?" Laughing I told him no. Mamo-chan went over to the suitcase to dig out clean clothes, shaking his head in disbelief all the while. "I wouldn't want someone pulling my legs up over my head like that," he mumbled to himself.

"You're hopeless, my love," I told him, kissing the back of his neck and in the same swift movement sprinting towards the bathroom, shutting and locking the door.

"Hey!" he protested, but I ignored him and got in the shower.

When I was done, I realized I was so determined to shower first I had forgotten my clothes. I wrapped a towel around myself and opened the bathroom door. At first I didn't see Mamo-chan anywhere, but that didn't last for too long.

As soon as I was clear of the bathroom door, I was lifted up and thrown on the bed. I screamed as my dark haired Prince began tickling me without mercy. "I'll show you! Sneaking past me!" he laughed, his fingers dancing over my ribs until I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe.

"Stop!" I yelled, trying to push him off me. It was about as effective as a fly on an elephants back. The small knot I had my towel held together by suddenly fell apart, leaving me as naked as the day I was born - and well in Mamo-chan's appreciative gaze. He stopped tickling me, and even though I was grateful for that, I still had a hard time catching my breath.

A part of me was scared to death and eager to conceal my nudity under his eyes. After all, despite everything, I was still a virgin. But there was something in his eyes, something so loving and gentle that I found I couldn't speak, let alone move away.

His gaze drank me in from head to toe like a man dying of thirst. I held my breath as he placed his hands on my small of my stomach; his skin touching mine sent waves of warmth all over me.

"Usagi, are you okay?" Rei lightly knocked on the door, but neither Mamo-chan nor I moved, or answered. Without any warning, Rei pushed the door open. "Usagi, I heard screaming, I-" We both looked over just in time to see the Priestess stop, her face turning a bright red. "Gomen!" she squeaked and slammed the door shut.

I stared at the door, still in shock from Rei's sudden burst in the room and even faster departure. Mamo-chan placed his lips on my throat, and instantly Rei was long forgotten.

* * *

I hummed as I dressed Chibi-Usa in a pink summer dress and tied a small bow in her short stubble of hair. Her eyes were a clear, sparkling blue - just a shake lighter than mine, but not as dark as Mamo-chan's. I recalled Ami explaining to me that all babies were born with blue eyes; I prayed Chibi-Usa's would stay. Finished dressing myself and my daughter, I sat in the chair in the corner of the room and nursed her before we went to start another day of searching for Shingo.

Mamo-chan and I acted like two sneaky teenagers as we slipped quietly down stairs and into the kitchen where the Senshi were. But either Rei had squealed or we looked too happy, because four sets of knowing eyes meet us when we walked in.

Mako-chan placed two huge stacks of pancakes on the table and winked at me. "How did you all sleep, or need we ask?" I blushed, which was as good as a confession to them. Mamo-chan sat next to me, mumbled a "fine" and busied himself making our plates.

We had just about finished breakfast when the Outer Senshi returned. Haruka acted no differently and I said nothing about the conversation we had the night before. She acted just as indifferent as ever, making me wonder if she and I had really spoken, or if I'd dreamt it.

Mako-chan made no bones about her feelings. "Have you no words of wisdom for us little people this morning?" she asked, glancing up from her plate with a syrupy sweet smile on her face.

Haruka made no reply, only Michiru had the decency to look embarrassed for the both of them. Setsuna looked indifferent to the tense air the two Senshi had created and Hotaru actually smiled. Ami stood, directing herself to me. "We should get started. My mother will watch Chibi-Usa." I bit down on my bottom lip. I wanted to get Shingo back as soon as possible, but the idea of leaving Chibi-Usa with some one who was a stranger to her didn't sit well with me. The only comfort I had was that Dr. Mizuno had been my OBG-YN with my pregnancy and I trusted her completely. And, at a week old, Chibi-Usa probably didn't recognize me, let alone whoever else might have her. Mamo-chan brought the baby bag down and we left with Setsuna, who claimed the Time Gate was the fastest way to travel.

When we returned everyone was already discussing the course of action to take. Mamo-chan sat with his arm around me, knowing that I had cried when we left Chibi-Usa and was likely to begin again if given the chance. Determinedly I told myself that she was safe, and that was all that mattered. I concentrated on listening to what was going on around me. "The other night after the clone incident at Usagi and Mamoru's apartment, I found a dimensional portal at one end of the closet in Shingo's room," Ami explained. "That's how the Youma were getting to him and how they eventually took him, I believe. Both Michiru and I have examined the vortex, but the only conclusive evidence we have found is that someone has been passing through it recently. If it wasn't for that activity I fear we would have never discovered it to begin with."

Mamo-chan sat forward, his fingers pressed together under his chin. "You don't know where it goes? Or what we should expect if we pass through it?" he asked indubitably, his voice edgy. It was unlike Mamo-chan to question such things, I glanced at him wondrously. "We have access to technology that today's scientists only dream of, and the only thing we can find out is that someone has passed through it? After what happened the other night, I could have told you that."

It was clear from the look of shock on Michiru's face and that of anguish on Ami's that they wished almost as much as we that they had more facts. I squeezed Mamo-chan's leg, shaking my head slightly when our eyes meet. "I'm sure they tried to learn more, but were unable to," I said evenly, directing myself at Mamo-chan more than anyone else.

Mamo-chan nodded his head and ran his long fingers through his dark hair. He sat back, exhaling deeply. "I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated, I suppose." Michiru nodded and Ami looked relieved.

Haruka, of course, heard and felt what she wanted - and couldn't help herself but to add gasoline to the fire. In her eyes he had insulted Michiru alone, and as I feared - that was enough to get her started. "I don't see you doing any better, cape boy," she grumbled in our direction. "Especially not by the Princess. Feels like the Silver Millennium all over again. You can stay beside her while she has your kid, but don't have the decency to marry her-"

"Enough!" Even Haruka looked shocked at my outburst, as if she never believed I'd have the nerve to stand up and stop her from having her say. One look at Mamo-chan told me how angry he was, but I wasn't giving him a chance to strike out. I stood, staring her down, my hands on my hips. "Haruka, you have no right to say anything about my personal life. It's none-"

"Anything pertaining to your life is our business," she started to argue.

I may only stand four feet eleven, but I tried to pack as much authority into my voice as possible. Without any warning I felt warmth in my forehead, feeling like it was trying to push through my skin. I tried to block it out, but it was difficult with everyone in the room suddenly with their jaws open wide. "It's none of your business," I finished, locking gazes with the Senshi of Wind. Suddenly a brilliant glow blast through the room, causing everyone to block their eyes until it lessened.

"Usagi-chan..." Luna breathed, her voice full of amazement.

I turned to her, not understanding. It seemed everyone in the room was struck speechless by what they saw, even Haruka. I glanced around the room, hoping someone would speak instead of gape at me. I felt of my forehead, but I couldn't feel anything different. Where had the light come from? I caught my reflection in the mirror above the fireplace and beheld a crescent moon, a replica of Luna and Artemis', shining brightly on my forehead. It sat proudly between my eyebrows, faintly giving off light. Luna shook her head, but kept her eyes open as if afraid she was seeing things and didn't want to close her eyes and risk it disappearing. "Your birth right," my guardian feline whispered.

She finally closed her eyes and lifted her head up towards the ceiling. "Thank Selene," she said almost silently.

Thank Selene? I thought. Why? For a constant reminder of who I was? Not Tsukino Usagi, not even Sailor Moon. But Princess Serenity. The girl I had fought with all my life in one form or another had just succeeded in completely taking over my life. No, I wasn't feeling very thankful right now. But something had changed in the room, not with my inner guards, but with the Outer Senshi. Michiru looked very serious and pulled Haruka by the hand, effectively setting her back down on the couch. Hotaru looked extremely pleased and Mamo-chan was actually smiling.

I reached up, running the tip of my finger over the birthright shining brightly on my forehead. It shimmered back at me, mocking, a reminder that I was still a Princess no matter how badly I didn't want to be. Mamo-chan, perhaps sensing my mood as I stared at my reflection, stood up behind me and put his arms around me. His hands grabbed mine, "Usako-" Before he could finish whatever he was about to say, our entwined hands grew hot and a brilliant white light exploded into every dark corner of the room. Faintly I could hear Chibi-Usa stirring, could hear the shocked gasps from each of my guardians, but I couldn't take my eyes away from the glow in our hands. The broach on my shirt lifted open, the Silver Crystal floating out of it's hold. I felt a shimmer of power fall over my body and the beautiful white dress I wore as a Princess replaced the clothes I was wearing. I didn't turn to see, but rather felt Mamo-chan's clothes shimmer and change as well.

"What is happening?" I whispered to my Prince, looking back at our reflection in the mirror. The crescent moon on my forehead seemed to pulse with power. Mamo-chan turned me around, his eyes huge as the light of the Silver Crystal pulsed once, twice, and then a long rod began growing between us. The top of the rod formed a beautiful design, twisting around the metal rod, growing and turning to form a perch which the Silver Crystal settled onto.

After the crystal came to a rest atop of the staff, the light died down again. I stared at it, looking up to catch Mamo-chan's gaze. "What is this?"

"The Queen's rod," Luna whispered.

Mamo-chan and I both reached towards it at the same moment, our hands touching end to end. A smile lit up his face. "A new power, born of our love." I felt the dress fade away and saw Mamo-chan's armor shimmer back to his jeans and t-shirt. Everyone in the room held a collective breath with me. My broach transformed again, minus the Silver Crystal.

"Whoa!"

"Hey!"

Shaking my head to clear it, I looked around the room. Each of my guardians were pulling their henshin sticks out, each was glowing brightly. Another brilliant light exploded around the room momentarily and all of the henshin sticks fell into their respective owners lap at the same moment.

"Power ups?" Minako said, holding her own stick up. She jumped to her feet, "Venus Planet Power - Make up!" When nothing happened, Minako glanced around a little nervous.

Artemis jumped up on the back of the chair she had been sitting in and cleared his throat. "The Prince and Princess have powered up your henshin, minna. You'll need to call on the power of your planet's crystals now. You should also have more powerful attacks now."

Minako nodded, clutching her henshin wand in her hand tightly. All the Senshi in the room stood, holding their respective wands in their hands:

"Venus Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Neptune Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Saturn Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Uranus Crystal Power - Make Up!"

"Pluto Crystal Power - Make Up!"

Luna and Artemis looked around, nodding their heads and looking relieved. "Finally," Luna breathed, "you are all back to the power level you had in the Silver Millennium. I'm so glad."

Despite myself, I was relieved as well. We would need all the power we could get to get Shingo back.

* * *

The sun's rays had only just begun to shine brightly on the city when we arrived back at the apartment Mamo-chan and I shared. As we approached the bedroom door, I felt a cold breeze whip down the hall. It was soon to become to clear where it was coming from. "It's the same as it was the night Shingo disappeared," I whispered, placing my palm on the door. The imprint of my hand in the frozen wood stayed a few seconds before disappearing. I tried to the door handle to no avail, but I didn't think it would open right away. This was familiar to me, much too familiar.

Tuxedo Kamen gently pulled me away from the door and tried the handle. I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't think it would open, either. He stood back and kicked the door, making it swing open. Inside the room was covered in ice. It hung from the bed, the toys, the night stand, even the light fixture.

"Dear Lord," I heard Jupiter mumbled behind me. I could only silently agree with her.

Memories that my mind had buried came back as I stared in that room. I could remember shoving on the door, and then it swung open. Only it felt more like someone had been standing on the other side, waiting for the right moment to let it go. And then... My eyes darted to the closet. I could remember Shingo screaming and as I looked up from the pool of my own blood I thought I had seen Shingo being dragged into the closet. These memories had been lost to me until I stood looking at the room now. If only I had been able to recall this earlier!

I blinked, walking across the small room to join the Senshi who were at the closet door discussing the vortex inside. "They were ready for us," I said, running my hand down the ice covered wall.

"So much for the element of surprise," Pluto stated dryly.

"Now we just do it the old fashion way," I stepped up to the vortex and peered into it. "Through the front door." Without so much as a warning, I walked through, leaving the Senshi to follow. To my surprise when I stepped out I found myself in a room very much like the one I had just left, except this one was missing the ice and cold. I waited for the other Senshi to join me, but none else came through the portal. I hesitated, one part of me wanting to go back and the other telling me to go forward. Before I could make that decision, it was made for me.

When I turned around, the portal was gone. "Great," I mumbled to myself. Mamo-chan was going to kill me when he found me.

It occurred to me that if this looked exactly like Shingo's bedroom in my apartment, then perhaps beyond the bedroom door was the rest of the apartment. And if I was lucky, at least one of the Senshi would have came out of the portal close by. With all of this decided (also note I decided I was crazy for going in alone) I went towards the door and turned the handle. To my disappointment, when I opened the door there was nothing. And mind you, I mean nothing literally. Unless you count black space that went on forever in all directions.

"Shimatta." I looked around in the small room I had come in. The closet door no longer contained a portal, the window didn't open. I even searched under the bed, but only found a pair of socks. The drawers all contained the same thing that Shingo's real dressers contained. Puzzled, but not finding anything to help me, I came to the conclusion there was only one thing to do.

I opened the bedroom door again and looked into the black abyss. Holding my breath, I said a small prayer to the powers that be; and walked out of the room.

 **-End Chapter 13.**

Hi, hello, sorry this wasn't out this morning as I originally planned. I have no good exuse, I was reading fanfiction ^_^;

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon, boo!

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and following - you are all awesome and I love you!

I'm going to go work on the next chapter now - ja!

God bless,  
Beth


	14. Senshi in Wonderland

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally Released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 14 - Senshi in Wonderland**

As I stepped forward I told myself that I was prepared for anything. If my hunch was right, the black nothingness was merely an illusion to keep me locked in the room. No amount of mental preparation was sufficient enough to prepare me for what awaited me when I stepped out of the room. The door behind me and the room beyond it disappeared the second my foot left the landing. But the most astonishing thing was that I was floating! No ground below my feet, yet I didn't fall. I moved my arms like one would swim and began moving forward. Without any light I had nothing to guide me, and since super heroes don't wear watches, I had no idea how long I floated around, perhaps in circles.

Suddenly I found another door and not the easy way, either. No, I smacked into it. "Ugh, that'll leave a mark," I mumbled, more to hear something besides my own breathing rather than to talk to myself.

I finally found the door handle and turned it. Beyond was a scene from many dreams... and just as many nightmares. The door behind me slammed when I entered, the sound echoing like a shot in the dark. In front of me was a staircase, to the left a sitting room that I would never forget if I lived to be a million years old. The fine furniture and pastel colors were suited to my mother's taste. _Her_ room had always been a place that was off limits to me and Shingo due to our sloppy habits. We had always felt more at relaxed in the den anyways, with its dark carpet that that didn't stain easily and worn furniture that we could flop down on. Even though, I couldn't help but smile at the memory of my mother sitting in that room, her needle point in hand.

My attention moved to the staircase. With tears burning in my eyes, I forced myself up the stairs. Memories that I had suppressed for months came back as clearly as yesterday. Emotional wounds barely healed were ripped open again, their stinging pain just as fresh as it was the day I watched my parents lowered in twin graves. Hanging on the second door to the left was a small picture of a bunny with my name written out underneath. From some part of me I didn't know existed, I found the courage to turn the handle.

I fell back through time as the door opened. The twin bed, the moon and stars bedspread, and all my stuffed animals that I had to leave behind in the move - even the pictures still lined my dresser. Why, it was as if I had never left! I sat down on my bed, pulling one of the stuffed animals in my lap. Everything was the same, so much that I half expected my mother to come through the door. Or Shingo... Shingo, could he be here?

Leaving my memories of being safe in my room behind, I headed towards my parent's room. I expected to see their bedroom just as it had been while I grew up. But when I pushed the door open, the memories that haunted me every other time I closed my eyes loomed in front of me again. Two bodies slumped atop each other, lifeless across the bed. On the wall above them, the wet blood still dripping, were the words that had started me on this path. Had I come all this way only to be right back at the beginning? Tears fell down my face and a howl of terror echoed in my ears, just like so long ago... "Shingo?" I screamed.

He was nowhere to be seen. Did I really hear him? Or was it my memory playing tricks on me? My eyes flashed over the blood-smeared words. 'You're Next Little Princess.' The bodies on the bed, my parents. "No...nooooo... This isn't happening! I buried my parents; not here, not again!"

"Why, Usagi? Why did you let them kill us?"

I fell back, my head striking the opposite wall. "Mama?" I whispered, crawling away from the doorway and towards the stairs, blinded by tears and terror. "Papa?"

"Why Usagi?"

"NO!" I covered my ears with my hands and squeezed my eyes shut. Over and over I heard my mother calling, demanding to know why I let them die. Hysterical, tears dripping off my face as I gasped for breath, I crawled the rest of the distance to the staircase. I looked back and saw the door to Shingo's room open and I screamed, my hand sliding at the same time. Before I could regain my balance, I slid down the stairs.

"Usagi! Usagi, answer me!"

"NO!" I screamed, flinging my arms and crying. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might explode. The only thing I could think was to get away; fast. "Usagi, get a hold of yourself!" I was being shaken, my heard snapped back and I opened my eyes, waiting to see a Youma; something out of my worst nightmare. Instead I saw Sailor Mars, her eyes worriedly watching me as I tried to gather my senses.

"R..Rei-chan?" I looked up the staircase, but there was nothing. Nothing chasing me; nothing but my own memories. "Oh God, Rei-chan," I cried my relief, still shaking badly. "My parents, I saw my Mom and Dad... dead. All of it, all over again..."

"Shhh," Rei soothed me while I sobbed. "I saw that room, Usagi. I wish you hadn't. I'm sorry."

"Who is doing this? Why?" I asked, getting louder as I spoke until my voice took on the shrill edge of a mad person. Somehow I knew that whoever was responsible for this mess could hear my every word. "Haven't you done enough to us?!"

Silence was my only answer, but I didn't expect an explanation. I doubt it would have been a sufficient one anyway. I finally calmed myself down and stood up. Rei rubbed my back as I sucked in my breath and wiped my face free of lingering tears. "Go wash you face and then we'll decide where to go from here," Rei suggested wisely.

I nodded and headed towards the bathroom. My reflection in the mirror only proved that I looked as horrid as I felt. My eyes were wild looking, puffy and blood shot. Dried tearstains trailed down both my cheeks. I reached down and turned the faucet on, but instead of water coming out, blood gushed into the sink. I gasped and turned it off quickly, running out of the room.

I found Rei in the kitchen. "Let's go," I commanded, grasping her hand and pulling her towards the door.

"Matte*, Usagi! There's nothing out there!" Mars argued. But trying to stop me was not an option, I was too determined to escape this place. I wanted to find Mamo-chan; I had never needed to feel his arms around me as bad as I did at this moment.

Mars protested even after I explained that we weren't jumping to our deaths. She looked even more worried when I threw the front door open and she realized I wasn't kidding. "If you're so determined to do this, at least let me go first!" She stared me down for several minutes. I wanted to get out of this place so bad that finally I nodded my head, seeing no alternative. So much for showing her that we wouldn't fall forever downwards. I supposed now she'd learn on her own.

Holding her breath, Mars walked out the door. "Oh, my God," she exclaimed when she didn't fall. I followed quickly and shut the door behind me. But I didn't feel any real relief until it disappeared. "Now what?" Mars asked.

I reached out in the direction of her voice and grabbed her arm. "Now we float around until we find another door, and hope we find everyone else - and no more surprises."

"Not likely to be that easy," Mars retorted, following my lead. I felt positive she was right.

* * *

"I feel something," Sailor Mars announced. I was beginning to wonder if we would just float forever. It felt like it had been hours since we fled from the house I had grown up in. I tried not to think about what I had seen. Even though I knew that it wasn't really my house, or my parents, the memories were once again fresh in my mind.

Mars opened the door and we stepped into a house that neither of us recognized. It was a one-story house, not very big, but it was cozy looking. The kitchen table had a beautiful cake sitting in the middle and decorations hung from the rafters.

"I wonder where this is?" Mars whispered, more to herself than to me.

I searched through the rest of the house. The master bedroom contained a large sleigh bed with matching night stands. A vanity table covered the length of one wall, make up and creams scattered among it. At one end was a picture of a young Mako-chan and two people I presumed to be her parents. I walked out of that room and across the hall to another.

There I found Mako-chan sitting on a bed, staring out the window. The room looked remarkably like her room in the apartment she now had. When she didn't take notice of my presence, I gently reached out and touched her arm. "Mako-chan?"

She jumped, proving my theory of her being so deeply in thought she didn't realize I was standing before her. "Usagi-chan?" she asked. She appeared confused for a minute that I would be there, I obviously didn't fit in the memories she was reliving. Suddenly she shook her head and smiled weakly at me. "I'm sorry. How long have you been here?" When I only stared at her, she stood up. "This was the house I grew up in," she explained, holding her arms out. She continued to talk, filling our silence with her memories. "I was having a surprise party for my parent's anniversary..." she trailed off, her voice cracking. "But they never came home." A tear fell from her eye that she wiped at in vain.

"How did they die?" I whispered.

She again looked out the window, her hands bawling into fists. "Their plane crashed on the way back from Rome, where they went to celebrate their anniversary. I remember sitting, waiting for their return. But instead I got a call from the police..."

Because I lost my parents also, I could relate to what was going through her mind better than anyone, I suppose. But the question I wanted the answer to was why? Why was this happening? What kind of sick person would make us live through the worst memories we had all over again? Of course, I told myself. The kind of person who wants us dead so they can take over Earth. I put my hand on Mako-chan's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

She sucked her breath in and smiled at me weakly. "Thanks, Usagi-chan." Wiping the tears off her face, she started towards the door but stopped to take one last longing look towards her parent's room before continuing on. "For so long I didn't have a family." She smiled at me. "But I do now, so it's better." I hugged her tightly. "Have you found anyone else?"

"Just Rei," I told her. We started to the kitchen again when the front door opened and Ami and Minako came in. "Ami-chan! Minako-chan!" I called.

Minako ran up, hugging me around the neck. She beamed a huge smile at me and then hugged Mako-chan. "I'm so glad we found you!" she gushed, hugging Mako-chan again. "Is anyone else here?"

As if on cue, Rei came to the living room to see what the commotion was. I couldn't help but laugh when Minako threw herself into Rei's arms with a force that suggested they hadn't seen each other in years rather than hours. "Minako-chan no baka," Rei said, but it was obvious she was happy to see her, also.

We sat down in the living room, all talking at once. The moment of peace didn't come until Ami cleared her throat and opened her computer. Silence rained down on the group of us like a goddess had appeared. I waited anxiously for Ami to say she had all the answers and we would find everyone else and be on our way home. Unfortunately, the Genius Senshi had limited information on our situation. "We've all fallen into a scene from our memories; the worst ones, I'm afraid. Everything I've tried to get readings on come back as made of nothing more than air. It's like we are all in dreams or illusions. The only useful thing I've managed to do is find a way to get us from one of these doors to another in a matter of minutes by taking the-"

Minako held her hand up, shaking her head. "Don't explain, please. No offense, Ami-chan, but I don't understand any of the words you use. You could be speaking German for all of it I get."

Ami stopped, almost looking upset, but then smiled. "Then let's go, ne?"

Just as Ami said, once we stepped out the front door of Mako-chan's house, she opened a door to another. This time, however, instead of stepping into a house; we stepped out of one. The clouds above us covered the Moon's rays, breaking open and pouring rain down. In front of us was a road, just on the edge of a cliff over looking the ocean. Something sparked in my memory, but I couldn't put my finger on it until we saw headlights coming down the hill. I watched, terror stricken, as the vehicle lost control and drove off the cliff.

I took off running, past the surprised Senshi and down the steps leading to the road. I could hear my friends behind me, calling my name and in front of me the sound of the car hitting the water. I ran faster, fearing I would loose balance and fall, but unable to slow down. "Mamo-chan!" I screamed to the top of my lungs. When I reached the road, I watched as the car bobbed in the water and then began sinking. "MAMO-CHAN!" I heard a noise behind me, and saw a shadow move near a tree. Unthinking of anything else, I ran towards the movement.

Mamo-chan, still in his tuxedo but without the hat and mask, was staring towards the cliff - obviously not even seeing me. The rain had plastered his hair to his forehead and he was soaked. "Mamo-chan!" I called his name, but to no avail. I wrapped my arms around him. My heart broke to see my tall, dashing Price this way. He was never supposed to have such despair in his eyes; never. The blank look in his eyes reminded me so much of when we thought Chibi-Usa was dead that I felt a chill ran over my spine, sending shivers all over my body. I pressed myself as close to him as I could, tightening my arms. "Onegai, Mamo-chan. Answer me! Onegai!"

It seemed to take ages for him to blink. Suddenly I felt his arms come around me, nearly crushing me against him. "Usako..?" he croaked, his voice high pitched with emotion.

"Yes, Mamo-chan, yes," I replied, kissing his ice cold lips over and over again. Tears began falling from his eyes, mixing with the rain. Another car, identical with the first one, came down the road and lost control, going off the cliff just as the previous one had. Mamo-chan watched it and fell to his knees, my body still crushed against him. His tears came harder. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Senshi watching - I shook my head to keep them where they were.

"Shhh," I soothed, running my hands through his hair and kissing away his tears while he held me like a drowning man would cling to a life raft. He finally seemed to come out of his grief, letting his grip on me loosen. The rain continued to fall around us, but I paid it little heed. "Mamo-chan?" I whispered, placing my lips on his forehead.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, his face still buried in my hair. "It keeps happening over and over again... my parents..."

"I know, I know, but this is not real. It's all an illusion. I'm here now. We have to find Shingo and go home to our daughter."

Mamo-chan sat up, bringing my hands to his lips and kissing them. "Usako... you, Chibi-Usa and Shingo-you're all I have. Don't ever leave me." His haunted eyes locked with mine. "Please."

I put my hands on his face and brought him closer to me. "Never. I promise." When our lips meet, I felt the true dept of our love. I wasn't the only one who needed reassurance and comfort. We were in this together, forever. Mamo-chan stood up again, and then helped me up. He glanced once more at the cliff as if doing so would forever suppress the memories of the accident. "Let's go get Shingo back."

We started forward again, but suddenly Mamo-chan stopped. I turned questionably, wondering what caught his attention. I prayed another car wasn't coming down the hill, but I was surprised to see Mamo-chan staring at me with an odd glint in his eyes. "What?"

He caught my hands in his and met my eyes. "Tsukino Usagi, I love you more than anything in the world." It was almost as he started to say something else, but didn't.

I tilted my head and smiled. "I love you too, Mamo-chan."

He smiled back and we continued up the stairs.

* * *

In a two story laboratory we found the Outer Senshi. The place was wrecked, the ruins of an explosion that had killed Professor Tome, Hotaru's natural father, still smoking. "As Hotaru's God-Mother, I was given custody since she had no other family. She was barely three when this happened," Michiru explained, her thin arms spread wide. I looked around at the broken glass and busted furniture.

"What about her mother?" I whispered. Hotaru said nothing while we spoke of her life, only sat closer to Haruka's side and stared forward. The Senshi of Sky put one arm around the girl protectively.

"She died giving birth to her," Michiru replied, dropping her eyes and thus ending the conversation.

"If we are all together then it's safe to presume the next stop will lead us to the enemy, right?" Minako asked. No one could agree nor disagree - it was too well known that surprises were plentiful in our line of work.

The next door we went in proved to not be anything any of us recognized. It was a cave, cut out of the side of a mountain. The door we came out of disappeared, leaving with no other option but to follow the tunnel.

At first I thought this would be your typical evil dark tunnel that lead to the person behind it all deal. Was I ever wrong!

After a few hundred yards we came into a room. And not just any room, but an upside down room. There were chairs, tables, even plants - but they were sitting on the ceiling. In the middle of the floor was a ceiling fan, its blades turning slowly.

"This is nuts!" Mars exclaimed, reaching up and pulling a leaf off of one of the plants. Just then the fan stopped and the lights flickered. I moved closer to Mamo-chan. My nerves stayed on edge as we waited to see what would happen next. We didn't have to wait long.

The first thing to fall was the plant Mars had pulled the leaf from. I thought that would be it, but suddenly one of the coffee tables came crashing down. Sailor Mercury dashed out of its path right before it splintered into pieces where she had once stood. One by one, barely a second's pause between, all the furniture fell from the ceiling. Tuxedo Kamen pulled me and Neptune out of the way of the love seat that crashed down while the rest of the Senshi dodged tables, lamps and the like. We ran towards the door, the sound of breaking glass filling our ears.

"Where's Saturn?" Setsuna suddenly cried, her eyes frantically searching the group.

The Solider of Uranus scanned the area, and not finding her adoptive daughter, dashed back in the room before anyone could speak.

Seconds slowed to minutes, the minutes feeling like hours while we each tried to see past the smoke and into the room. The sound of a large object, most likely the sofa, falling greeted our eager ears. "Haruka!" Neptune immediately screamed. "Hotaru!" I watched, hoping, praying; but no one emerged from the room. Mamo-chan wrapped his arms around me, but I couldn't cry, I was too angry at whoever or whatever had done this.

Pluto, like Neptune, refused to move from the doorway. Together they stared into the clearing air for a sign, a cry - anything. The minutes continued to tick by ever so slow. They were dead, I repeated over and over again in my mind. And someone would pay for this. Jupiter placed her hand on Neptune's shoulder, but the older Senshi shook it off. "She'll come out," she whispered in a horse voice, so different than the soft melody her words usually created. "You don't know Haruka like I do, she'll come out."

Just when I had given up all hope, the sound of someone walking through the debris preceded Sailor Uranus coming out of the room, Saturn in her arms. She was covered with dust and piece of broken wood. I knew I had never been so happy to see Haruka's face in my life. She placed Hotaru down and Setsuna swept her up in a hug as Michiru hugged Haruka.

"You Senshi are smarter than I give you credit for," a voice boomed through out the cave, echoing in the distance. "But I doubt you're smart enough to defeat me."

I shook my head. I refused to lower myself and scream the obscenities that were on the tip of my tongue. Time would tell who won this war. Determinedly we walked forward.

After that the youmas came in floods. We fought off group after group of them. The more we found, the stronger they became. Why, we didn't find out until it was almost too late. "They're absorbing the excess energy off our attacks. By using our attacks on them, we are feeding more power into the next group," Mercury explained breathlessly as we fought off more Youma.

A blade from a razor handed Youma flew past my face, the wind off it giving me chills. The longer we fought, the slower all our reflexes became as we tired out. The time between attacks were becoming few and far between. I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "What do we do?"

For the first time since I've known her, the Senshi of Mercury looked unsure about something she said. "I don't know, Sailor Moon. If we don't use our attacks, I don't see us having a fighting chance."

Her words hit me like lead weights. Beyond the fighting Senshi I saw another group of Youma coming towards us. "Mercury, what do you suggest we do? They get any stronger and I'm afraid we don't have a fighting chance anyway."

Mercury looked like she was giving a death sentence when she finally answered me: "Don't use our attacks."

The Outer Senshi didn't look like they would cooperate with our plan at first. Mercury explained to them what she had told me; still they looked unconvinced. "Look, we don't have time to talk out the various permutations on this. Saturn, Pluto - you can use the Glaive and Time Key as weapons. Mars has her mystic wards, Venus has her chain, Uranus her sword - so we're not defenseless. We just can't power up, unless we want them to power up also."

After a few more seconds of silence I didn't think they would agree. Finally, Uranus nodded. "What about Saturn, can she use her silence dome?"

"I don't know," Mercury replied point blank. "Let's not take the chance unless we have to."

While we were talking, the Youma had cornered us against a wall. But they didn't attack. I wondered if they would attack us, or if they were waiting for us to make the first move. When we didn't start attacking them, they looked confused about what to do next. I watched them out of the corner of my eye, an idea coming to me that I prayed would work. "Don't move," I said to the Senshi slowly. I thought Mamo-chan would have a heart attack when I started walking into the crowd of Youma. The different assortment of Youma watched us curiously as we made our way towards the other side of the room. To my delight, they made no movement to stop us.

"They are programmed for self defense only. They don't know what to do when we didn't attack," Mercury was explaining.

I couldn't quite figure out if she was saying this to someone or to herself.

"That was... amazing," Venus exclaimed when we were safely past the Youma. "How did you figure out they wouldn't attack?"

I shrugged. "It was just a hunch."

"They're getting away!" the deep voice from earlier boomed through the room. The Youma looked confused momentarily before running after us again.

"So, oh great leader, what now?" Mars asked, hands on her hips.

I threw her a dirty look and glanced back at the crowd of advancing Youma. "We do what any super hero would do - run!" And with that I took off running, the rest of the Senshi following. Even with the head start I had, Sailor Uranus and Neptune soon passed me. "How can they run so fast?" Tuxedo Kamen mumbled from beside me. I didn't answer him, basically I had no explanation.

Uranus suddenly stopped, Neptune following suit as if she understood what the other was thinking. They pushed the door open, Neptune running inside and Uranus directing us to follow. "Hurry! In here!" We all followed, Uranus shutting the door behind us.

"That was close," Jupiter exclaimed. I turned to her, but what I saw in the room stopped me in my tracks.

The back wall was lit up with torches, casting long dancing lights around the stone walls. The room was bare except for one stone bed. But what finally removed the shock from my body was the person lying on that stone bed against the same wall. "Shingo!"

I started to run to him, but Tuxedo Kamen grabbed my arms. "Wait, Sailor Moon," he commanded firmly. "It could be a trick."

I stopped, though it took all I had in me to do so. "But..." I realized, however, that he was right. Hadn't I fell for this once? I couldn't be so gullible again. "What do we do?"

Mercury stepped up to my other side, her visor over her eyes and computer in hand. "He's the real Shingo," she reported while she continued to scan and type. "But remember, he's had evil fed into him and we don't know how it's changed him," she advised.

Tuxedo Kamen nodded, but they just couldn't understand! That was Shingo! The _real_ Shingo! I pulled my arms free from Mamo-chan and ran, oblivious to the Senshi calling for me to stop, or Mamo-chan chasing after me. I reached my younger brother, pulling him into my arms. "Shingo, baby, answer me!" I called in his ear, rocking him back and forth. His eyes opened, but gone were the beautiful blue eyes so much like mine and our mother's. Instead there was nothing but black, empty depts. As I stared at him, his eyes flashed and I was thrown across the room in the same instant.

For a second I blacked out from the impact. When I came to, Mamo-chan was hovered over me. "Are you alright?" he asked the second I reopened my eyes.

I nodded and stood up with his help. Across the room Shingo was floating in the air. I couldn't believe what I saw, it was worse than anything I could have dreamt up. "That's not Shingo!" I accused Mercury, trying to find somewhere to release my pain and anger built up inside me.

Mercury shook her head, showing me the small screen on her computer that meant nothing to my untrained eyes. "It is him. I warned you, they have fed this evil into him and now it's been... activated, so to speak. Somewhere in that body, is Shingo's soul."

"But... but what do we do?!" I cried. I felt like pulling my hair out. To have found him, at last. And now, this... "But Shingo is still alive, right?" I asked frantically, practically pulling Mercury's arm out of socket.

When her eyes meet mine, what I seen there caused me to let go of her and back up. Sadness, such sadness. Was it for me? I bit my bottom lip. "We'll have to fight him, Sailor Moon."

No, I mouthed. I wanted to speak, to protest, but I couldn't find my voice. I must have shook my head at her, because she reached out her hand and touched mine; her gloved hand felt scalding hot. "Yes, Usagi-chan. We have to fight him. There is no other way."

"I..I can't!" I stuttered, looking up at the little boy floating in the air. Saturn and Pluto were keeping him held back by threatening him with their powers, but he was advancing quickly. I looked to Mercury, and back up to him again. I couldn't. I knew I couldn't use my powers against him.

"Here Princess, Princess, Princess..." he taunted, calling my title over and over again. "It's your turn to die..." he said in a sing song voice.

I backed up, searching for a place to run. But there was no where to run. If I wanted Shingo back, I would have to use my powers against him... or for him. I brightened with the realization. I could heal him! "Mercury!" I gasped, running back over to her. "I can heal him, right? Then we don't have to fight him!"

"Not as he is now," she said, bursting my bubble with her five small words. I felt panic growing larger in my mind. "He's too strong. Just like one of the Youma we have been fighting, we'll have to wear him down and let you try and heal him then."

Sailor Pluto raised her Time Staff, preparing to chant the words that would send a surge of power against Shingo. Unthinking of what I was doing, I ran towards her, grabbing the staff. "NO! Don't!" I cried. Shingo blasted his own energy at me, sending me flying against the wall. Pluto's eyes were sad when she meet my gaze briefly.

"Dead Scream."

"NOO!"

 **-End Chapter 14.**

* - Matte translates to "wait" or "hold on"

I had this chapter done and then my crappy laptop decided to shut down and I had to start all of the edits over again. But here we are at last. The only thing left, which I will post today, is the last chapter and epilogue to this story and then we are on to No Greater Love!

Thank you all so much for reading - I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thank you for reviewing. What? You _haven't_ reviewed! Go do that! :)

God Bless,  
Beth


	15. Saving Shingo & Epilogue

Flee to Destiny  
By: Bethany  
Originally Released: 3/2002  
Revised: 7/2015

 **Chapter 15 - Saving Shingo & Epilogue**

The entire room lit up with a purple light as Pluto hit Shingo dead on. "Shingo!" I screamed, trying to back up. The wall behind me prevented much movement, though I would have disappeared into it if I could. Vaguely I could see Shingo, palms towards Pluto, blasting energy bolts at her one after another.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"NOOO! Yamete!*" My commands carried no weight with the Outer Senshi as they continued to attack Shingo. Tuxedo Kamen was beside me, but I paid no attention to his words. The only thing that I could think of was that they were killing my little brother.

The little brother that I didn't want, because at age twelve I thought my parents didn't need anyone but me. I could remember the day he came home from the hospital. I was so jealous I wouldn't even look at him. Even so, I couldn't help but become fascinated by each and everything he did. Slowly but surely he crawled into my heart. And then I was forced to change roles from sister to mother. But I had failed. And he was dying...

Dying...

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Venus lashed out with her weapon, but Shingo dodged and then blasted her against the wall. With a groan the Solider of Love passed out, a trickle of blood sliding down the side of her face. With that small act, the rest of the Inner Senshi, who had refrained from attacking, stepped forward and took fighting stance.

"Usako, we can't let him kill us. We have to fight him, just to tire him enough so you can heal him," Tuxedo Kamen was saying to me, trying to calm me down. But I couldn't think past the fact that they were attacking Shingo to understand anything else.

Mars began to attack Shingo and I felt myself snap. I stood up, but I couldn't consciously put my finger on what I was doing, something deeper in myself took over. Calmly I placed my hands in front of my broach and summoned Queen's rod with the Silver Crystal planted in it's core. A warm light bathed me, flowing from my head to my feet. When I reopened my eyes my fuku was gone, replaced with a flowing white dress made of fine silk, different layers moving in an unfelt wind.

Everyone in the room was staring at me, but the one I took notice of was Shingo - tears in his eyes that battled between blue and black.

"Shingo, it's okay now," I said with a confidence and calmness beyond my years. He stared at me with the queerest expression as I walked towards him.

Suddenly he blinked, stepping back from the warm glow of the Silver Crystal. "Stay back," he commanded, but his voice had lost its rough edge and bordered more on the youthful voice of Shingo. He raised his hands and blasted a shot of energy towards me, but it was weaken and I easy deflected it.

"It's okay," I repeated softly, all my love for him poured into my voice. I closed my eyes and began silently pleading for the guidance I needed to restore Shingo back to me and to remove this evil. "Please, Goddess Selene, grant me the strength to heal Shingo," I begged. The stone in my hands grew brighter, but still Shingo's eyes were black.

As I struggled to uphold my stance, and fight against the evil I felt another power mix with my own. A golden light shot out towards Shingo, mixing with my own silver. With the two powers joined, the room became unbearably bright. I heard Shingo scream, the black emptiness giving way to blue again. Beside me stood the Prince of my dreams, armor protectively wrapped around his chest, which he pulled me against.

I pushed harder into the Ginzuishou, the effort beginning to wear my body down. But I couldn't give up, not while there was a breath left in me. Shingo fell to his knees, but the evil was planted deeply in his body and refused to let go of its death grip. His head was thrown back and a continuing howl of pain left his throat.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard the Senshi screaming that they room was caving in, but I couldn't stop. My guardians each, in turn, aimed their strongest attacks at Shingo. I barely felt the rocks falling down on and around us. Something peaceful came over me then, and the weariness of using the crystal didn't seem so harsh any longer. I felt as though I were easing myself into a nice hot bath; the promise of complete relaxation just around the bend. Just a few more seconds...

"Usako! DON'T!"

Shingo's eyes stayed blue and a black mist fled out of his mouth, disappearing in the warm light of my powers as water evaporated in the hot sun. His body fell limply to the ground and I smiled. I had saved him; it was okay to let go now. But why wasn't I able to move towards him?

I wanted to run to him, to hold him close - and while I willed my feet to obey, they refused to listen. "Usako! Damn it, don't do this! Listen to my voice, come back to me!"

I could hear Mamo-chan, but I couldn't see him. I looked around, but all I saw in every direction was never-ending white light. I felt a sob rise in my throat; what had I done?

"Princess Serenity."

"Who are you?" I asked, spinning around. It was the same girl who had haunted me for a lifetime. She stood as regal as she had the first time I had seen her clearly... the first time I had meet Mamo-chan. "Mamo-chan?" I called, ignoring her and looking around again. Shaking my head, I lashed out at the Princess in front of me, tears streaming down my face. "What's going on?!"

Her heels tapped softly on the floor as she approached me calmly, the essence of a Princess. While I wanted to scream and rip her hair out, if only for the reason that she possessed such calmness. "I just wanted to thank you, Serenity."

I looked at her like she had grown two heads. I still wondered if I was dead, dreaming or how I came to be here. "Thank me? For what?" I demanded.

She laughed, her voice sounding like a sweet melody that was especially written for her voice. "For setting me free. Now that you have fully come into your powers and therefore your memory - I am free. Free to leave the jumble between life and death and be with my Endymion again."

Her words intrigued me, so that I forgot where I was and what had brought me here. Had she been a prisoner in my mind? Could he be that she longed to be as free from the past as I? "Wait, you're saying that you were trapped... in my mind?"

"Bound by duty and love for my people, I had to stay in this limbo until you destroyed Metallia forever. Now I am free to proceed to the after life where my Love awaits me."

My mind was reeling; so many pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. "Then you are not me?"

Princess Serenity grabbed my hands within her own, our identical gazes locking as she spoke to me. "We are one, but not the same. And I thank you for helping me, for becoming the Princess that I am proud of. Now, return to Mamoru before he goes crazy." Briefly she hugged me and the next second was gone. "Thank you," her voice resounded through out my mind. With her finally at peace, I new that I, too, would finally find peace with who I was.

 **\- Epilogue -**

The sound of the crews working on the cleaning of the site where Tokyo Towers once stood filled my ears as I pushed Chibi-Usa through the park. The wind blew in my hair, making it dance in the air behind me. The sun shinning on my face made me feel alive and wonderful.

Shingo had become withdrawn after we had defeated Metallia and saved him from its evil grasp. He said less now than he did after our parents died. And yet, I was happy just for him to be alive. The rest we could work through.

In the summer of that year, Mamo-chan, Shingo, Chibi-Usa and I flew back to the United States to visit my parent's graves. All of my friends that I had thought enough of to stop and see couldn't get over Chibi-Usa or how handsome Mamo-chan was. But it felt strange seeing the people I thought were my best friends in the world, but who had never written or called when I moved away. I found myself missing Rei, Minako, Ami and Mako-chan, as well as the light and laughter they brought into my life. Even though I felt bad about doing it, I asked Mamo-chan if we could leave early. He looked relieved I had suggested if, even though he didn't say so.

And so returned to Japan, the place I really called home now. I snapped out of my memories and looked at my watch. "Time to pick Papa up from work," I told my three month old.

She grinned at me just like she understood completely. In the distance I could see Shingo pushing himself back and forth on a swing. There were many children around him, but he stayed to himself. Mamo-chan assured me Shingo would come out of his shell soon, but still I worried about him. "Shingo! Let's go!"

By the time I reached the car Shingo had caught up and took the stroller from me, folding it up and placing it in the trunk. He ran around the car and jumped in the front seat next to me and buckled up, not saying a word the entire time.

When I arrived at the laboratory where Mamo-chan worked, I was surprised to not see him standing outside like normal. Curiously I grabbed Chibi-Usa and with Shingo following behind, went to find my boyfriend.

"Hello, Usa," Mamo-chan's lab partner greeted as I approached. Hento Daiki was shorter than Mamo-chan and not nearly as handsome. His stomach protruded over his pants, giving the impression he wore an inter tube around his waist. His hair fell stringy in his eyes and quite frankly, he gave me the creeps. If ever I was sure someone had a body hiding in their basement, it was Daiki.

I absolutely hated running into him when Mamo-chan wasn't around. He always made advances on me and it seemed today would be no different. He stuck his thick finger out to tickle Chibi-Usa and instantly she began crying. I glared at him, but because we were alone, he ignored my harsh look. "Where's Mamo-chan?" I demanded, stepping back. I didn't want to cause problems with Mamo-chan at work, but suddenly I wished I had said something to him about the way Daiki talked to me.

Daiki shrugged and rolled his eyes. "I don't know, he left a couple of hours ago. You know," he said in a syrupy voice as he came towards me and winked. "I would never leave you like that. You should leave Mamoru and go out with me."

I rolled my eyes and with as much sarcasm as I could muster, I said, "I'll tell Mamo-chan what you suggested and see what he says about it." I turned on my heel before he could react and rushed out of the room and away from his lust filled eyes.

I went straight home, a thousand things running through my head at once. But instead of focusing on yet another encounter with Daiki, I wondered why Mamo-chan had left work early and not told me. By the time I arrived home and rushed to our door and inside, I was frantic. Everything from him being sick to him leaving me came and went in my thoughts. I took my shoes off at the door and rushed inside, still holding Chibi-Usa. The house was strangely dark for mid-afternoon, and I noted that they shades were drawn in the living room. I pushed the kitchen door open and reached for the light switch.

"Happy Birthday Usagi-chan!" I heard a chorus of voices ring out. I jumped, nearly screaming. In my arms Chibi-Usa became alarmed and began crying - which in turn caused every person in the room to begin laughing.

* * *

The party lasted for hours. Everyone was delighted with the element of surprise, especially since my nineteenth birthday wasn't until the next day. All the Inner and Outer Senshi was there, also Motoki, his sister and my co-worker Naru. I received a mountain of beautiful gifts from everyone, as well. It was truly one of the best birthdays I could remember. But the best present didn't come until after everyone had left and the children were asleep.

I found Mamo-chan sitting in a chair on the balcony, staring at a golden rose he held delicately in his hand. When he caught me staring at him, he blushed and smiled at me. "I had this dipped in gold," he explained, holding it up for me to take. "It's the first rose I ever gave you."

I felt a tear trickle down my face. But as I reached out for the rose, something glittering on his finger caught my attention. "What's that?"

"What?" he asked, his lips curving into a handsome smile. He looked at his hand and pulled the ring off, showing it to me. The outside light made it breathtaking to behold the heart shaped diamond, a small cluster of diamonds outlining the large one. "Oh, this? Well, I bought this for a special woman I just happen to know..."

I began crying harder as he got to one knee. This was it; he was going to ask me to marry him. I felt like I was going to float away on my own personal cloud of happiness. His face turned dead serious, his eyes finding mine and locking there. "I could sit here and name a thousands things that my love for you expands past, but words are too clumsy for what I feel in my heart for you. I say I love you, but it doesn't seem to do it justice." His voice faltered as he tried to build up the courage to continue. I noticed how the hand that held the ring out was shaking. "Please, marry me. I would never ask you for anything else if you would just do this, and make me the happiest man alive."

He began to slip the ring on my finger, but stopped - waiting for my response. At first I didn't know if I could speak, or if I would just start crying my eyes out. "Yes," I whispered, flinging my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his over and over again. We both fell back, but he managed to hold us both up without his head hitting the floor. "Yes! Yes!" I nearly screamed, just to make sure he heard me and for the sake of hearing myself say it again.

I lay in my love's arms that night and admired my engagement ring. Even in the dark, it sparkled. Every time I laid my eyes on it, I replayed his words over in my mind and felt my heart beat in happy anticipation of our life together. Suddenly I turned to Mamo-chan and grinned. "Again?"

He rolled his eyes, laughing at my pleading face with mock annoyance. "But I've already done this five times, Usako!"

"Please?" I begged, batting my eyelashes at him.

"Okay," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Once more." I smiled gleefully and closed my eyes. I felt him slip over top of me and press his lips to mine gently. "Usako, marry me." Gently he kissed my lips again and I grinned widely. "Happy now?"

"Uh huh," I mumbled, nodding my head. Truly I was happy. Happy with who I was and where my destiny had led me. Finally, after traveling the long, hard road of fate - I had what I wanted for over a thousand years. I closed my eyes and fell into the land of dreams.

Only now the demons of my past were gone.

And I was truly home.

 **-End of "Flee to Destiny".**

* - Yamete translates to "Stop"

That's it! I hope everyone enjoyed this story - at least enough to stick around for the next book "No Greater Love". ^_^

disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Thank you all so much for reading my story. I really hope you come back for the next installment. Please leave a quick review with your thoughts, etc.

God Bless,  
Beth


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